The Dara Diaries
by XXTigerXEyesXX
Summary: Contessa Dara was raised in the life of a hunter. She was taught only black, and white. Right versus Wrong. What happens when an accident challenges that? When she becomes the very thing she'd hunted, but along the way she gets the normal life she'd always wanted? Filled with a new love, family, and friends. Can she keep it all? Or will it end tragically?
1. Death to a Dara

**Alright all! An idea hit me tonight as I was rewatching Season 3 of the Vampire Diaries, because quite frankly that was one of my favorite seasons- that and Season 4. I loved when the Mikaelsons are portrayed as the all powerful Original family and have devious schemes up there sleeves- the only really good villan they had after that was Kai and the Heretics, but Kai really didn't last as long as I thought he would. Anyways this is my first Vampire Diaries entry so I'd appreciate if you kept your criticism constructive. I am always looking to improve as a writer so your feedback is welcomed and appreciated. Just don't spew out this long rant of how you dislike the storyline and, what not. If your only critique is about how much it sucks and you have no reccomendations to better it then it's probably best left unsaid. Anyways, thank you for your reads and interests in my writing. I am so grateful for those taking the time to read through this. Much appreciated and, enjoy!**

 **Rated M; for language, and slight sexual situations.**

 **Chapter 1: Death to a Dara**

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"Where's he going?" A feminine voice asked somewhere deep down in the darkness. Tessa gasped loudly sitting up as an equally accented voice responded to the question. The shocked looks on both the male and female in the storage unit told her they hadn't expected her to sit up.

"Wha- what's happening-?" Tessa's voice quivered as the throbbing in her skull intensified.

"Oh bloody hell…" The man said with an eye roll. His curly blond hair shone in the lighting from above as he stood. His blue eyes pinned her where she lay with annoyance shown in them.

"Well, aren't you a surprise." The woman said from her perch on what appeared to be a plain storage box. The pair of them had blood around their mouths, it was dripping down at the corners of their mouths. Tessa stared frozen, unsure what to do as the blond man glanced towards his much lighter blonde counterpart.

"Shall we retrieve Stefan? He should by all rights clean up his own mess." The man said with a glance towards the girl.

"Leave him, Nik. As you said, he has a name to write on a wall, besides… this could be fun." She replied with a grin down in Tessa's direction. Tessa gulped, she had an idea of who she was speaking with currenly. She quickly moved to push herself to her feet ignoring the throbbing pain throughout her entire body. She finally noticed the blood all down her front of her royal blue dress.

"What-?" She gasped backing up once again into the industrially sized shelving. Her shaky hand moved up slowly to her neck where she felt the sticky liquid she knew to be blood. Memories came to her mind. She was out shopping. Her sister's friend, Bea's wedding day was fast approaching… Tessa moved her eyes down to the concrete floor next to the box the blonde woman was perched upon. Bea lay there, face down and a pool of blood forming beside her neck that had been torn into. "No." The word left Tessa breathlessly as more memories hit her.

She had been dazzled by a charming man. Not much older than her. His smile was as charming as ever, but she hadn't been totally fooled. Her sister, Harper had been taken by the blond man before her. Tessa's eyes moved behind the man back on the couch he'd sat upon, it was a prestine cream color, in contrast to the stark red of blood spilled not a foot from it on the floor. Tessa's eyes fell on the woman beside Bea, Tessa's eyes found the same orange- red hair that she had. It was her sister, dead on the floor. "Harper." The name spilled from her throat as her eyes watered over. "No." She felt her world spinning. She balanced on unsteady legs.

"What- what did you-? What have you done?"

"That's it. I shall get Stefan." The blond man. Nik said as he began to turn only to have the woman grab his arm.

"Nik, we've turned people in our time; have we not?" She asked her eyes moved slowly from the man back to Tessa.

"Speaking of that…" The man said his head turning back towards Tessa's direction. "How is it that you've turned?" He pulled away from the woman and moved in closer to Tessa. She stiffened and tried to push her body back against the shelf only to find the shelf digging into her back already.

"I mean. In order to do that. You've had to ingest vampire blood… recently at that." Klaus said his train of thought connecting aloud as he moved his body in closer and, closer setting Tessa on edge even more so.

"Please. Please don't come any closer." The words hurt as they were torn from her mouth.

"Oh, love. You're in nowhere near any position to be making demands." Nik moved and within a blink of her eyes, Tessa was trapped between his arms as he leaned against the shelves behind her wearing a devious grin. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Vampires." The word was spoken softly.

Nik's grin widened at that simple word. "Yes, we've established that you're aware of our existence. Glad to see you've come to grips with it." He took a breath at the woman's annoyed huff behind him. "Sister, please make you're presence useful and do something with the bodies."

She made an indignant noise from behind him her arms crossing across her front to show her defensiveness as if her dark glare wasn't showing her foul mood enough, "Now, Rebekah!" The man said not even sparing her a glance. She huffed leaning down careful of getting blood on her heeled shoes as she snatched up Bea's arm by her wrist. She then reached over to grab Harper, and Tessa simply reacted, her anger uncontrollable. "Don't touch her!" Tessa could feel her eyes changing as she made a move to push by the man keeping her trapped. Before she knew it, the man had her by the throat and slammed her roughly against the shelves again.

"Best not to try anything, love. We're much older than we appear to be, but I assume you know that. Besides, I'd recommend not getting on my sister's bad side. She's just as- if not even more wicked than I am." He grinned at his words in a frightening manner. Tessa's mouth fell open as the woman- Rebekah grabbed her older sister at her wrist and dragged both Bea, and Harpers bodies back around the corner son to disappear from Tessa's sight. She stared at the man as he looked her up and down taking her in. As uncomfortable as Tessa felt she knew if she'd tried anything he'd snap her neck like a twig and that would end any chances she had of getting out of here. Tessa felt a sharp pang from somewhere within her and gasped, groaning loudly, she hunched over and unwittingly grabbed the mans arm for support. The man's eyes watched her calculatingly as Tessa straightened the pain subsiding.

"Well, there may be an opportunity for you yet." He said softly as his hand brushed her long red hair from her face. "I suppose I shall have to walk you through the next steps carefully. Firstly, however, you're to tell me whose blood you've seemed to have ingested and how you came to meet this vampire." Confusion clouded Tessa's mind at his question.

"Vampire blood? Ingested-?" She asked again her eyebrows turning down in confusion, "You must be confused. I would never, ever drink in the blood of such an abomination." Her tone of voice seemed to change the mans threatening demeanor as he began to laugh and laugh taking some steps back.

"Oh dear. You've no idea, do you?" He looked to her his face alight with amusement as a twinkle shone in his blue eyes, "Darling, you've had to have taken in vampire blood in some way in the recent days, otherwise-."

Tessa cut him off moving closer to him in an aggressive yet familiar manner, "You creatures do nothing but, bring death, and destruction with you I'd never take anything from your kind. Least of all your blood. I'd rather be dead." She hissed at him her face inches from the man's

He looked down at her continuing to be amused at her bravado now, "Well then, love. I have some news for you..." He trailed off slowly. His grin never left his devilish features. Tessa gasped as it hit her- it had been obvious from the moment she awakened, from their shock at her gasping breath to her sister and, friend dead on the concrete floor. She stood there her world once again spinning. "What-? I-I'm a vampire?" She asked shocked. Her eyes now moving up to her companion she'd dwelled within the storage unit.

"Yes, love." As his response sunk in she felt his hand close in around her throat as he all but, lifted her from the floor. Her heeled feet kicked out as she struggled for breath, "So I'll ask just once more. Whose blood have you ingested, and how have you come by this vampire?" Tessa fought her hands grabbing at Nik's wrists trying to pull his hand away from her throat.

"Anytime now, love." He smiled up at her.

Tessa gasped in what little air her throat would allow in the man's crushing grip. She grunted as her heeled foot came up and caught him in the stomach. He dropped her quickly as he caught her kicking foot by her ankle. He looked down at her on the cool concrete floor now.

"As much fun as this is. I am running out of what little patience I have, instead of teaching you the ways of vampirism, I'd much rather kill you and be done with it instead." Tessa yanked her leg back from his bruising grip and stood again to meet his hard stare.

"Kill me then. I'd much prefer it to being a vampire. I won't live off of the blood of good, innocent people."

Nik groaned angrily turning away from her, "For the love of god, woman! A name!" He yelled cutting into her ranting tirade of her noble decision to not kill innocent people so she could live.

"Why do you care?" She asked her angry eyes seemed to stare into the depths of Klaus's soul.

"Call me curious." He said taking a step closer to her.

"Kill me and I'll tell you." She said to him. Klaus stared at the woman for a long time. For the first time in a long time, he was taken by surprise. Most would beg for their lives, but not her. Not this one. Turning to face her he took in her black strappy heels and his eyes moved up to her long, lean legs. Higher over her form-fitting navy blue dress up to her blue eyes as they caught his. Her beauty wasn't questionable. Klaus found himself reminded of a previous conquest of centuries past. He smirked at her devilishly, "Fine. Tell me the name, and I shall put you out of your misery."

Tessa looked at him skeptically. She knew she shouldn't be surprised by his blatant disregard for her life, but that seemed almost too easy for her to do. She opened her mouth thinking that her life meant nothing to the man before her. She was just a loose end to him. "I- I don't know which one it was…" Tessa trailed off her hand running through her hair as she sighed out in frustration. "I sort of deal with your kind on a regular basis."

Klaus watched the woman pacing the floor before him. He could see her anxiety as plain as day on her face. He could see she was uncomfortable, whether it was just from the change or something more he wasn't sure, "I can't be sure who it was at the party I went to, I- I don't remember all of what happened, exactly."

"Party?" He asked now knowing just what sort of crowd she was involved in.

"Yeah." She nodded her head sparing him a glance but, wincing at the bright lights from above so she returned her eyes to the floor. "It's one of those parties where they request an invitation, and without it, you're not admitted."

"Ah," Klaus said with a nod. He knew just what she was referring to. Only the elite of the elite got into those and, he was sure that crowd moved on after each party never staying in one place for too long- especially not after a gathering like that he was surprised they'd be in a place like Chicago for their gatherings, but he brushed it off not caring much about the strix and, their incessant air of superiority. What he'd yet to figure out was how this girl fit into it all "So, what are you? A mere snack that someone brought? An appetizer? Although, from the looks of you, I would say you were the dessert." His eyes roamed over her body once again taking her in.

Tessa fixed the man with a glare as she bit back every one of her instincts'. She crossed her arms and opened her mouth before she could think better of it. "My name is Contessa Dara, and I am anything, but dessert."

It was Klaus's turn to be surprised as he took the woman before him in with an interest he hadn't held before. "Contessa Dara…" He trailed off quickly placing her last name with a woman he'd murdered centuries back. The woman came from a long line of hunters, the notable difference between them from the other worthless vampire hunter was that their line was as old as his family was. Meaning they're training was passed down from the Vikings, they also were well-aware of their weaknesses. It was nasty business when Klaus and, his siblings stumbled upon that bunch. He thought he'd killed them all, but it seems he stood corrected. "You must be related to Alannah Dara… I'm sure she was you're great, great, great, great-." He cut himself off with a smirk. "You get the idea. She was your grandmother, or aunt, or something to that effect. Either way…" He trailed off slowly moving in closer to her, "I slaughtered her, just like what I've promised to do to you." He slammed Tessa back now against the cold concrete of the wall she gasped as her eyes met his. She welcomed death now.

Her training had prepared her for it. Those in her family would rather die than to live life as an immortal abomination that walks the earth, that's just the way it was.

Klaus grinned suddenly knowing it'd be a waste to murder her. As it was she couldn't return to the life she had; not as a vampire. Klaus's mind worked quickly as his hand held the woman against the wall, He knew she would prove useful in keeping himself safe from other hunters- he wanted information from her as to her families whereabouts and he knew keeping her alive was his only hope. He moved at his vampire speed as he released the woman and dipped his fingers in her friend's blood in a puddle on the floor moving quickly he brushed his fingers over her lips purposefully moving his fingers into her mouth leaving a trail of blood on her tongue. Tessa's eyes went wide with shock as she realized what he'd done. The tiniest drop of blood was all she needed to complete her transformation into the monster she'd once hunted.

"No." She said softly her wide eyes not leaving the man once. She stood there her body leaning against the wall her legs gave out as she fell to the floor. Her eyes watered as she realized her fate was sealed.

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 **Thank you again! Please review.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	2. Nowhere else to Go

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you. I hope you're enjoying the read thus far. Here is Chapter 2. Please enjoy!**

 **Chapter 2: Nowhere else to Go**

Tessa had been left to rot within the confines of a dark, dank basement. Nothing but, concrete surrounded her. A cot had been laid across the floor for her to lay on when she grew tired, and she was still fuming. She'd woken up on the said cot after the man had broken her neck to transport her quietly, if he knew her family then he'd know that she'd have fought him tooth and nail. She couldn't tell how long she'd been here there was no perception of time down in the dingy cellar.

She huffed leaning against the wall trying to figure out how she could end her life. A painful thought came to her as she stared down at her hands, she wondered if she could rip her own heart out. She took a breath as memories of her life smoothly moved from the back of her brain to the forefront. Her mother, and aunts training her before her tests- her cousins practicing before gearing up to attend parties they'd managed to get invited to. She let out her breath not realizing she'd been holding it for longer than she could have before becoming this beast and, she plunged her hand into her already dirtied dress, and inside her chest. The squelching sound of blood pouring from her gaping wound startled her, but the pain was worse. It knocked her to her knees. Tessa tried to bite her lip to prevent her screams from tearing through her. Leaning back against the wall with her hand now wrist deep into her chest she took more painful breaths before trying moving her hand around within her ribs. After a few minutes of finding no other way her closed fist broke through one and she found her heart. She cried out loudly now as her pain redoubled.

She gasped as the door up the stairs was pushed open and she heard the sound of two footsteps coming down the stairwell. Looking up she was greeted by two men. One she recognized from earlier, Nik. The other she distantly remembered from her attack. He'd lured her, her sister, and Bea away from the safety of the mall and, then compelled them asleep until she woke up dead.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah…" She heard the British voice and then felt him grabbing her wrist and yank it out of her chest. No matter the effort she used to fight him, he was by far stronger than her and with a smirk, he held her bloodied hand against the wall by her wrist. "There will be none of that. If you're to die I'll kill you myself." He told her his mouth closer to her ear more than she was comfortable with. She groaned in disgust as she turned her head away from him.

"Stefan. I'd like you to meet, Contessa Dara. The Vampire Huntress turned vampire, compliments of you." Tessa turned to look at the man who'd killed her and put her in this miserable position.

"I'll kill you if it's the last thing I do on this earth. I swear I will." She leveled the vampire with a glare. He merely smirked at her.

"I don't think so. Not with the position you're in." He told her moving in closer. She hadn't realized Nik had released her wrist and, left her side. The man that had killed her moved in closer still. "You're not even capable of killing yourself let alone anyone else. It's kind of pathetic actually." He trailed off his eyes moving up her body.

"Shut up!" She yelled her fist colliding with the man's head. She watched as he true face had begun to show through the handsome one. "You know nothing of me. How dare you call me pathetic-?" Her rant was cut off as she was pressed against the wall by the Vampire she'd struck. Her training kicked in then as her knee was brought up to his side and he hunched over. She then knocked her fist against his temple. The vampire wasn't expecting it but had recovered quickly. He grabbed her arm and twisted her around using her other arm he now had it in a painful hold behind her back.

"Just a bit more pressure and-." With that, there was a sickening crack. Tessa yelled as her shoulder was dislocated. "There it is!" The man- Stefan cried out, she could hear the smile on his face. Tessa heard a noise low in her throat that she'd never made before and within seconds her feet were running up the wall at unnatural speeds. She twisted in the air popping her joint back in place as she jumped over the man that stood behind her. Quickly landing on her feet she shoved him against the wall, head first. Her training was coming in handy- even more so now than when she had been human, her speed was heightened, her accuracy had never been more on point. She quickly jabbed her hand through the back of him under and up beyond his ribs, where she found his beating heart. She heard the man's groan in pain, she felt his heart beating wildly in her hand.

"Give me a reason." She taunted as the blonde man- Nik took a step in her direction, "Because I am just begging for any little excuse to tear his heart from him." Her grip on his heart tightened and she watched Stefan gasp in a breath fighting for survival.

"Listen, love, murder just isn't on today's agenda," Nik said as he moved swiftly behind Tessa and, pulled her hand out of the monster's chest.

"Yeah, it's not on anyone's." She muttered turning to take a swing at him. He blocked her hit effectively grabbing her fist and spinning slamming her head first into the concrete wall. Her head cracked against the concrete as well as putting a dent into the foundation of whatever house she was kept in.

"No, it's on mine, just not until at least next Thursday." He replied with a cheeky smirk. There was a pause where Tessa just glared up at her captures. "Look, you are a vampire now. You can accept that, and come out from being down here, or you can continue to fight us, giving us no other option but to force blood down your throat until you break." His eyes stared deep into hers.

She couldn't tell if he was serious, or bluffing, "What do you want from me?" She asked softly, she was tired. The hunger pangs within her made it clear she'd been down here for a few days.

"Simple." He grinned. "Your loyalty."

She stared at him her mouth hanging open, "I am a vampire hunter. I will never be loyal to something like you." Her tone was venomous.

"Ah, give it a few days. You'll be begging to be released." As he said this Nik ruffled her snarly red hair atop her head. He turned to head upstairs, but the other man- Stefan continued to stare down at her.

"You know, whether you want to admit it or not. You are a vampire. You can choose to die, and end your life or, you can suck it up and push on. Your skills could be quite useful to us, and it would be such a shame to see your knowledge wasted." He looked up and turned away as he followed along up the stairs. The door was shut and locked Tessa then heard the mutterings of a witch spelling the door and knew she'd been spell-bound to not leave the room. She cried out as she punched the concrete wall already dinged from her head smashing against it.

Tessa couldn't be sure how much time had past from the day the men had come down to offer her a way out, but she heard the door open. Her muscles screamed as she slowly turned her head up in the direction of the door.

"Ah, hello love." The man greeted. This time, however, he had the female from before with him. "Slight change of plans. You are to come with us." Tessa cried out in pain as she practically felt her muscles ripping when his hand on her arm pulled. He released her letting her fall heavily back on the floor.

"She's started desiccating… Seems our friend needs blood." Rebekah said with a smirk. Before Tessa could blink a bag was tossed down in front of her. It was open and the blood splattered over her. Glancing down at her dirty, ripped dress she took in the scent of blood spilled over it, the tarnished and dry fabric absorbing it quickly. It was dominating, she felt her eyes darken and the veins reacting to the blood. It hurt her, but she turned away from it.

"No." She grunted out trying to take in steadying breaths, but she was weak and the scent of blood was affecting her. "No." She said again, stronger this time. Memories of her sister, and cousins. Memories of her mother- as tough as she was on them, it was what made her strong enough to say no now. Nik huffed, and she heard him mutter to his equally blonde counterpart that she needed to ready the truck. At her walking off he looked down to the girl before him. Tessa's once exquisite dress was now torn and, covered with grime and, dirt. Her fiery red hair looked tangled and, messy. Her eyes still sparked in the dark however, he was running out of time and he knew it. He had been determined to sire his hybrid line and no one, no one was going to get in his way.

"We don't have time for this. We've got to head back to Mystic Falls." With that, Tessa felt the man moving closer. He yanked her so that she lay flat on her back and with a quickness she had yet to adjust to he straddled her pinning her arms to her sides with his legs. Pulling her head back to the floor by her hair he poured the blood over her face. Tessa tried to turn her head, but in her surprise, she gasped her mouth opening and blood pouring in. Upon swallowing she had lost her battle for her only salvation. She felt her world spinning, and her emotions spiraling. Her feelings were heightened and, she hated them- even before the change she had trouble containing them.

"Just let them go, sweetheart." She knew what he was doing and, it only made her angrier. She snarled trying to shove him off her, but her body wasn't strong enough yet. "I will compel you to drink if need be." He threatened. "Best to do it on your own terms, yeah?" He finished over her growls and, shouts.

More memories of her past began to resurface. She knew her life was over the second she'd woken up from death back in the storage unit, she should have died with her sister. Her family would have nothing to do with her now. Her chances of ever practicing magic again were dead as she was. Her family was a long forgotten thing of the past now.

She felt the last of her inhibitions beginning to slip away from her, and that's when Tessa felt her body warming and becoming more mobile as she drank willingly now. The more she drank the better she felt, "That's a girl." She heard above her. She pushed the vampire from her and sucked down what little blood was left in the bag. She groaned dropping the bag to the floor. She felt the blood dripping down her chin and neck, but she didn't care her only focus was getting more.

"I want more." She heard the rumbled growl come from her mouth, but it seemed as though it belonged to someone else entirely.

There was a laugh and her eyes found Nik across from her a wide grin on his face, "There she is." His eyes scanned her body again as if just seeing her for the first time. He stood suddenly with a glance towards Rebekah before looking back at her and saying, "Come, love. There's plenty more of that upstairs."

Tessa moved slowly keeping both people within her sights. She didn't trust them and had no intentions of gaining theirs. Following them up the steps she was greeted with an old apartment. It was just as dingy as the basement, looking as though it had been vacant for years with no care of upkeep, "This way, darling." The accented voice was almost soothing as the man split off from the woman. She exited a door leading outside while the man turned and headed up a set of stairs yet again leading up to a bedroom. Tessa followed along slowly as they entered. She saw a bed had taken up the majority of the room, on it laid an outfit.

She skeptically took in the dark blue jeans, and the royal blue tank top matched the dress she was wearing perfectly. Her eyes trailed over to the yellow cardigan next to the ensemble., she pointed looked to the undergarments not so subtly laid out on the outfit. "My sister got this together for you. I assumed you'd want to get out of your clothes." The man trailed off behind her.

"Yeah, and a shower too," Tessa said, her voice calm and level struck her as odd given her predicament she was in.

"Not that you're in any position to be demanding…" He said coming up from behind her, "I'll allow you a small token of friendship, seeing as you have decided to play nicely with us." He directed her to the bathroom. An open doorway adjoining to the bedroom. She sighed as he moved to sit on the bed. She paused her eyes glancing to him.

"Oh, I'll just be here. Call it a suicide watch. Wouldn't want you to die whilst in the shower, do we?" He replied as he pulled out his cell phone. Tessa grumbled moving into the open doorway quickly stepping behind the thankfully opaque curtain and, undressing there. She tossed her ruined dress up over the metal bar holding up the barrier between her and the vampire. She paused mulling over her newly acquired vampirism in her head. She was no different from the monsters she spent her life hunting.

"I don't hear the water running! Unless you want me to come in there I suggest you-."

Tessa cut his voice off quickly as she turned the knobs starting the water. Her body relaxed for the first time in what felt like weeks as the hot water rained down on her. Her muscles were no longer feeling stiff as she scrubbed at her skin with the only thing she had within the confines of the shower. A bar of soap. She had to work her finger through her hair carefully as she attempted to comb out the knots. Tessa could almost feel the mans eyes in her direction, so she worked quickly getting the essential part of her body cleaned from the grime and sweat she had on her. With a sigh, she shut the water down and rung her hair to squeeze the excess water out. Flipping her hair to her back she pulled the curtain open and peeked out. Gasping as she took in the man inches from the tub.

"We are behind schedule as it is. If you don't mind hurrying the process along, love." With that he held out a towel to her she took the thing and hid behind the curtain drying then wrapping herself in it before stepping out. She took in a breath as she padded out of the bathroom and the bed where the clothes had been laid out.

"Am I to expect that you'll sit there and watch me dress? You never know I might severe my head of with a loose thread from the sweater." She asked sarcastically as she stared at the cardigan over to Nik. He laughed aloud as he pushed himself from the wall.

"No sweetheart. I'm many things, but a peeping tom is not one of them." He moved in closer still, "I want your loyalty, not your body. Although, if you're offering… I'll have that as well." He stood behind her suddenly with his mouth at her ear in a suggestive manner. Within a single blink, he was gone and Tessa looked up at the sound of the door closing. She sighed moving to gather the clothes and put them on. She opened the door to find Nik there smiling at her appearance, "I think you look much better." He greeted.

"And, I think I hate you," Tessa said back to him mustering up every ounce of stubbornness into her statement.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, I am lovely." He told her with a grin as he turned and walked down the stairs. Tessa sighed turning to look around before she followed having nowhere else to go now.

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 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	3. Beat the Bloodlust

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you. I hope you're enjoying the read thus far. Please enjoy!**

 **Chapter 3: Beat the Bloodlust**

The pair stood outside of the apartment building, on the darkened street of Chicago, Tessa watched a black car traveling rather quickly down the back road that her captures had brought her to. She just stood watching as the car came in closer and, closer. She knew she would only have this one shot at it so she had to time it perfectly, with seconds remaining before it passed her by she raced out into the road. The impact of the car knocked her body back a few feet and she rolled head over heels in the road, she heard the smashing of glass. Pain radiated from every part of her body as it scraped against the asphalt. Before she knew it she was fine again. Her body had healed. The only proof of even being hit by a car was the now dirtied cardigan and torn up jeans.

An obnoxiously loud huff sounded from the side of the road as she started to push herself up to her knees slowly.

"Nik, I-I-. She just ran right out in front of me." Looking up Tessa was greeted by the sight of the other blonde- Rebekah standing half out of the driver's side holding her door with tightly gripped hands. The front window was cracked where Tessa's head had slammed into it. A perfectly round indent at the passenger side that ebbed outwards.

"It's alright, Rebekah. Just keep driving we will meet you at Mystic falls no later than tomorrow morning." Nik had replied to her, in a modulated tone.

Nik stood over Tessa suddenly, now with a scowl firmly planted on his facial features he pulled her up roughly by her arm. "However, before we go…" Tessa heard his voice trail off. She turned to look at him only to have her throat in a crushing grip as he shoved her against the side of the massive blue trailer "You are not to put yourself in any life-threatening danger whether it be from yourself or from something or someone else, got it, love?" She felt her head becoming hazy and, all she could do was nod at him. Her eyes were captivated by his. "Good. I also want you to trust me. I'll not harm you as long as you do what it is I say, and when I say it, understand?" She vaguely felt his hand move from her throat down settling on her shoulder.

"That's a girl." He told her with a smile releasing her from his grip. "Seeing as now that is settled we best be off, hmm?" Klaus held his hand out to her offering to help her climb into the cab of a Freightliner, she pointedly ignored his offer and climbed into the cab herself sliding as far away as possible from him within the confines of the seat. "You don't have to fear me, you know." He told her with a smirk as he turned the engine over. "Our relationship could potentially be a big gain for us both."

He was met with more unrelenting silence and huffed pulling the massive truck from the curb. This would be a long drive back to Mystic Falls, "You don't want to talk? Fine. I shall." He told her his voice low as he breathed in a breath of fresh air, "I suppose I shall properly introduce myself to you then. My name is Niklaus Mikaelson. You can call me Klaus."

Tessa's head turned so fast she half expected it to turn all the way around.

"Oh, you've heard of me then, great. Less time spent explaining." He asked another big smile on his features illuminated only by the street lights along the backroads they were traveling.

"Of course, I've heard of you. Your family was the only vampires to kill any in our line, and you killed nearly everyone in one day…" Tessa trailed off surprised by the sound of her own voice.

"Ah, so it speaks." He retorted with a glance in her direction from the road. "Tell me sweetheart-. I mean, I get that you're from a rather ancient line of vampire hunter's and all, so I understand the detest for vampires has been ingrained into you since birth, but why are you so hell-bent on murdering yourself?"

She remained silent for a few moments, but she answered eventually, "It's what we're trained to do when we're first learning how to hunt. If someone in our line has been turned, we're honor-bound by our bloodlines to kill ourselves. One less abomination walking the earth that way."

Klaus remained silent as he kept his gaze on the road, "Well, that sounds grim." Tessa let out a chuckle without thinking, but she quickly hid her amusement. Truthfully she'd always questioned her upbringing, she'd just wanted normalcy. She wanted high school, and friends. Instead, she got training lessons and, immortal enemies.

"Ah, so you're not just risking your life constantly to be a pain in my ass?" He asked with an eyebrow quirked in her direction.

"That's not my only reason for it, no, but it is a bonus." She replied cheekily before turning to look out her window as the massive truck merged onto the highway they'd be taking all the way to where ever Mystic Falls was.

"Well, it's certainly a good thing I've put a stop to those irritating attempts at suicide." He said leaning over and clapping a hand on her thigh as though they were old friends. Tessa tensed uncomfortably jerking her leg further from his reach.

"You don't get how serious this is, do you? We have rules! We have traditions to be upheld! I am out of my element completely here! I know what I should do, but now…? I can't. There's no backup plan. There's nothing saying what to do once you've fed on blood and, completed your transition! I'm in totally uncharted territory here." She told him, all of her frustrations pouring out of her.

"I can't go back to my family-I know that! I can't go to the witches that once gave us shelter because I can no longer practice magic. I have a target on my back now, a big bright one that my family will find, and stick a stake into the first chance they get."

"… And, you expect me to believe that you suddenly don't want to die?" Klaus asked her with an eyebrow quirked up challengingly, "My apologies for my skepticism, but I just watched you, not a half hour ago throw yourself in front of a moving car, and days before that attempt to pull your own heart out. Thankfully you were stripped of your stakes otherwise you might have succeeded in your ridiculous endeavor."

Tessa crossed her arms over her chest, "Clearly I don't want to die. I am honor bound- well, I was anyways at least until you compelled me." Klaus opened his mouth only to be cut off, "I still despise being what I am, and what you are, I'm just not as obsessed with wiping us from the earth."

"Oh good," Klaus said making a turn to merge onto a different section of highway.

"So, you've gotten to ask me some questions-."

"A question. I've only asked you one." Nik told her holding up his index finger as if she didn't know how many 'one' was.

"Oo-kay, well, it's my turn now." Tessa glanced out her window, but faced Nik again, "Why are we going to where ever Mystic Falls is?"

"Urgent business." He stated simply. Tessa gave him an exasperated look.

"Oh c'mon." Tessa huffed uncrossing her legs from the passenger seat. "I answered your question honestly, did I not?" She pouted.

Klaus looked conflicted, but it seems he came to terms with what he was gripping. "Alright, alright, I suppose I can share this story. I am not just a vampire. I am also a werewolf." Tessa looked over at him more interested in him now. "I'm what's called a-."

"Hybrid." Tessa finished for him her voice was soft, she almost didn't believe him but she'd heard the rumors some weeks back.

"Yes, so you've already been made aware of what I am. I figured you hunters would find out sooner or later."

"Yeah, I was supposed to kill you." She admitted freely knowing there was no chance she would be able to now. Not without her family, and her magic. It hit her then. "Wait, you took my sister's stakes too?" she asked alarmed. Her mind drifted now wondering if he knew the power they held.

"Well yes, both of you had stakes in your bags. Your friend there didn't though. We assumed she wasn't a hunter."

"She wasn't. She was innocent." Tessa said her mind drifting back to the shopping trip they had planned. They had hit up a bunch of stores for her dress before taking a lunch break. That's when the trio of vampires had struck. Her sister, Harper hadn't wanted to put her friend in danger so she'd played along with Klaus until the compulsion became real. She hadn't anticipated who she was up against. She hadn't known. None of them had.

The originals had a long, messy history. It tangled up with hunters throughout the centuries they've walked the earth. Almost every line of hunters had been approached and sent on missions from witches to end the vampires, none had succeeded, obviously. There was a story passed along generations of a witch approaching the Dara line, and they had been cursed on account of their refusal to play puppet for a witch. They knew better than to put their magic to the test- if the witches and vampire hunters couldn't take them down together; the elders of the Dara line knew they wouldn't do it on their own. A few months afterward was when the Original Vampires stumbled upon the village, killing nearly everyone there. Luckily a couple had been exiled out of the village at that time. Thus continuing on the line of hunter's.

"Well, wrong place, wrong time. Apologies, Love." Nik shrugged looking back through the front window.

Tessa's life flashed before her eyes. Her dorm at Roosevelt University. Her friends- what little she'd made anyway. The parties at the fraternity she'd never wanted a part of. Her track team meets were done now too. "So, your family are not natives of Chicago then?" Nik's voice cut through the thick silence and broke her train of thought.

Tessa glared over at his direction. "Obviously, but you knew that already." She responded her tone of voice clearly irritated at having to be near the vampire for this long. Her head was beginning to hurt from the sensations she was feeling. The bright lights from the other cars along the other side of the high way hurt her eyes a lot.

"While I've had my run-ins with the annoying line of vampire hunters, that's true. I was asking you about your family particularly Just polite conversation." Tessa just ignored him, suddenly she found they were coming to a slowdown, the cars ahead were piled up in traffic. She spared a glance at Nik who'd worn an irritated expression from the driver's seat. Tessa heard him groan as he pulled up to the car ahead of him.

"Guess my hopes for a simple 12-hour drive was a bit too optimistic for us." He grinned a dazzling smile in her direction. Tessa rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Why didn't you just kill me?" She asked him suddenly. The silence and her annoyance of the slowly rising hunger pangs were getting to her. Klaus turned to her surprised that even after the compulsion she was thinking of that, "I mean, you didn't kill me after I awoke which was clearly—"

"A surprise." He interrupted with a tilt of his head, she knew he was also remembering her death; days ago inside his storage space rented near the docks.

"Exactly," She continued, "I wasn't in whatever plan you have going on here, and I don't want to be a vampire."

"Clearly; even after four days- which is an awfully long time for a newly transitioned vampire to be without blood. I came down to find you trying to rip your own heart out." He began only to try to look out more over the traffic ahead of them. Due to a lack of air Tessa rolled her window down letting in the cool night air. "I see a fight in you that I've seen in someone a long time ago. Someone I lost."

"So you took me as what? A-a reminder?" Tessa asked disgusted, "You're sick." She finished with a huff as she went back to looking out the window taking in breaths of the darkened night. That's when she smelled it. The scent of fresh blood. Her body reacted with pure predatory instincts. Her heart began to race and her hands jumped to the frame around the window. Her head practically out of the window.

"Tessa. No." His voice had cut into her head through the hazed state she was under. The itching in her throat had redoubled and she was finding it hard to think of anything but, the blood he'd given her earlier.

"Don't you smell it?" She asked her mind was crazy with bloodlust. That's all she could think about at the moment, her hands now gripped the frame of the window tighter, she was about to jump out at a moments notice. With every breath of cool air, she felt as though she were trying to swallow sandpaper.

"I do, but I've learned to control it." He replied to her, his eyes glanced out the front of his window again giving her the mere seconds she needed. She started out, but Klaus's quick hand gripped the back of her yellow cardigan as he tried to yank her back in. "You will beat this." With his well-controlled tone she knew it sounded like he'd tried to compel her again but, in their small space they shared he couldn't reach around and grab her face to stare into her eyes. With a heavy sigh, he caved, "I'll stop once we're clear of traffic and grab you a blood bag." However, at his slacking grip, as the truck rolled forwards, she'd taken advantage and jumped out of the passenger side window and was gone in moments. "Oh, bloody hell!" Klaus swore as he hit the steering wheel. The traffic had begun to move and, with the cargo, he was carrying back to mystic falls that could awaken at moments notice he knew he hadn't had the time to stop and, search so he did the only thing he could at that moment. Not bothering to pull over Klaus marched towards the back of his Freightliner, ignoring the angry shouts of the people in cars behind him before they changed lanes and sped off. Unlocking the lock, he yanked upwards opening the door and looked to see Stefan already awake now and leaning against the shelves holding the remaining coffins with his family inside them.

"Well, good news my friend, you haven't totally proven useless to me, yet." In a flash, he stood over Stefan and yanked him up by his shirtfront pushing him against the shelves behind him. Klaus stared into his eyes as his powers of persuasion kicked in. Stefan's pupils dilated accordingly, "You are to hunt down the woman you inadvertently turned a week ago. She's a young vampire and not entirely in control over her bloodlust as of yet. I want you to find her and return her to me then we shall continue on to Mystic Falls with her in tow, by any means necessary. Am I clear?" He watched Stefan's brown eyes slowly return to normal as he nodded slightly. "Good. Off you go, mate." Stefan sent him a glare but was gone within a second. Klaus smirked to himself as he glanced back at his family, safely tucked away before moving out back to the cab.

Stefan huffed as he followed the scent of blood into the nearby little patch of woods along the side of the high way. A car had been driven off the highway and crashed into a ditch- it was the cause of the traffic backing up. He turned to see a woman. Her flaming red hair acting as a beacon to his eyes even in the darkness. He heard her before he saw her. She was tearing into someone's throat with a growl. She turned around instantly defensive as her wild, darkened and monstrous eyes meet his brown ones. Her fangs were bared at him threateningly. He knew it didn't help that she disliked him from the moment of her awakening. He watched as she seemed to return to herself now that her bloodlust was sated. She gasped looking down at her bloody hands. Her mouth was dripping blood.

"Oh god." She muttered. She was returning to herself- regaining control. Stefan knew her feeling all too well. He was a ripper- he always would forget himself when tainted with human blood-unlike her, he would never learn control. "Oh my god… what did I do?"

"He was already dead if it makes you feel better. You swiped him from the corner's bag." With that he held up the black body bag he found some yards back towards the edge of the woods.

"I-I couldn't-." She started backing away from the body slumped against the foot of the tree.

"Control comes with more time, you've been a vampire for a week, but you've been kept in a basement, so your contact with the outside world has been rather… limited." Stefan explained as he tossed the now empty bag down in the dirt.

"Good." A disembodied woman's voice cut through the darkness, it was throaty and hoarse. Stefan was grabbed from all sides. He yelled in pain as a headache split through his head and his knees gave out on him rendering him useless. Tessa jumped looking around. She'd recognized the woman's voice immediately and broke into a run, she was not about to let her mother get her hand's on her- she'd be dead for sure. Due to the compulsion placed on her by Nik, she was forced to run until she felt safe. Her way was blocked suddenly as a high fence planted into the ground came into her view blocking off her path. She groaned, but bent at the knees and attempted to make the jump over it. That's when the pain hit her, the electricity coursing through her body caused her to lose consciousness as she fell to the ground, hard.

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 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	4. Family Reunion

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you. I hope you're enjoying the read thus far. Please review!  
Alright, well this chapter gves you a little insight into Tessa's life. Hope you like it, I'm just kind of going with the flow here, and this is what came out. 2 chapters in the same day? I was surprised myself, anyways thank you again all!**

 **Chapter 4: Family Reunion  
**

The burning sensation was driving Tessa mad. The vervain ropes were searing into her skin causing red, blisters to appear up along her forearms. Tessa shouted in pain as a dark-haired, sepia toned hunter stepped forwards and, splashed water that had been boiled with vervain in it until it had disintegrated to nothing.

"You should've killed yourself the moment you woke up." The rough voice of Tessa's mother cut through the cries and, shouts of Tessa's pain. Tessa's blurred vision cleared to make way for her mother, short and stocky, but underestimating her would be a vampire's last mistake. Chevonne Dara was as deadly as any good hunter especially when it comes to wielding her magic. Tessa's seen her mother take down three to four vampires with a wave of her hand. Tessa looked at her mother's small figure. Her blue eyes were the same shade as Tessa's, but that was about it. She had short blonde hair with a fade going up the back of her head. The majority of length was at the top- similar to a pixie cut. Her stance was rigid- she was on the defensive facing off with a threat. Tessa was immediately reminded that she herself was now the threat to her family.

She groaned softly pulling her arms against the ropes- her intent to break them failed. She only succeeded in burning indents into her fair skin. "M-mom?" Tessa's voice was soft and, desperate sounding. "Please?"

"I'm not your mother, you are nothing but a monster inhabiting what used to be my daughter." She muttered. "The only reason you're still breathing is my need for revenge. Who turned you?"

Tessa hesitated to answer knowing that Klaus would kill the remaining Dara's. She opened her mouth, but apparently had taken too long because the same dark-haired hunter came at her again with more vervain water, he dumped the bucket over her head causing a scream to tear from her throat.

"Please. Stop." Tessa's voice was soft and weak. Her throat hurt from her screams. She felt as though her skin were melting off her body.

"Who turned you?!" Her mother yelled. Tessa's vision was blurry now and remained so. She could feel her eyes diligently working to heal themselves from the irritation of the water.

"I-I don't know who sired me," Tessa responded quickly, she sounded tired even to her own ears. She heard a bucket being filled in the other room. Even though her blurred vision she knew her mother had brought her to their shed. The backyard was where she always held the vampires she'd needed information from. She'd tie them up and torture them until she got what she'd needed then killed them. This was a first for Tessa to be in the chair. The walls were a dull grey concrete and plain. Shelves lined the top just under the part that turned into a pointed roof. It looked better when it had been built, but her mother had let it go since she became a hunter. The only chair in the shed was the one Tessa was currently tied to.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Her mother's stern voice cut through the sound of water running outside the shed. It was clear her mother didn't believe her. "Your sister is dead. Bea was slaughtered the very same day. How do you not know?"

"It-it wasn't the same vampires that killed us." Her mother crossed her arms, and through her blurred vision, Tessa caught sight of the knife in her mother's hand. Fear overwhelmed her suddenly.

"Oh, well that would explain how they got the jump on you, 'vampires'?" She asked quoting Tessa's exact wording back to her, "Who are they?!" Her mom pressed on, having only one goal in mind. Tessa was finding the gleam of silver coming in closer to her.

"It- it happened at the party Robbie and I went to-." She paused taking a breath as her skin continued to work on healing. She pulled at the ropes again only to feel an intense burn in her forearms. "We-. I-I messed up, mom." Her voice broke as memories were surfacing of Robbie.

A swift hit landed on Tessa's cheek. "You are not my daughter. Not anymore." Her mother spoke slowly, and clearly. Tessa's vision cleared and she now stared at her mother a shocked expression on her face. "Do not play with me. I have killed worse for less, and I won't be taking it easy on you simply because you used to be my child." Tessa stared into her mother's blue eyes. They were hard as stone. Her demeanor was cold and cruel. Tessa wasn't all that surprised, she'd seen her mom in action- even when growing up she showed little emotion. She was surprised that even the deadly and dangerous Niklaus Mikaelson had more manners. It was when their dad had died- at the hands of vampires none the less-that everything changed. Tessa was too young to remember. That was the last time her mother showed any sort of raw emotion. Her dad had been a hunter, he kept his family out of the business of hunting vampires at least, he did, until he died. His death was what sparked her mother to go on a vengeance-filled hunting spree, she had yet to find the ones that killed him though. Tessa could recall her mother's screams when she found him strung up in their porch like a display of artwork. It had been a warning from the monsters that killed for a living. It had the opposite effect on Chevonne though.

She took it and ran, her hunting had been almost as good as the legacy their father left. Before that though, she'd been a witch dead set on healing and using her powers for good. She was one of the witches that dad had gone to after a vampire fight- that's how they met.

Tessa cried out as she felt her mother's knife slice into her arm. The burning sensation of the ropes was nothing in comparison to the special blade imbued with magic. Her sister, mother and her were the only ones to have magical hunting knives. They charmed their knives and, stakes with dark magic- well, their mother had. She'd purchased them long before they'd ever been used. She knew that she'd be raising her girls' in the life of a hunter. With all she knew of the vampires, she would not leave her daughters without the knowledge to defend themselves. "Alright, so you've no idea whose blood you ingested at said party?" Tessa shook her head slowly, still feeling the pain in her forearm. It felt like someone was holding a hot pocker where her mother had cut her. The aftershock of a stinging burn reverberated up her arm. "Who was it that killed my daughters? My children?" Tessa was surprised to hear her mother's voice soften at the end question. She knew her mother's emotions were showing through her hard shell exterior.

Tessa's eyes shifted around noticing that the water had been cut off for a few seconds now. She looked back to her mother noticing a figure creeping in the darkness behind her, "Him." She answered with a nod. Her warning came a second too late as Stefan attacked her mother from behind. His arms came around as he attempted to pin them to her sides, but she was stronger than he thought. She broke his hold over her and turned around on him with a roundhouse kick. He blocked her incoming attack knocking her knife out of her hand but missed her swift kick. Chevonne kicked out his knee pinning him down to one knee. Her hand gripped his hair as she kneed him in the face. Tessa saw his nose bleeding down over his mouth now. In the shadows of the room, she watched Klaus enter through the blacked out window sufficiently breaking it with his bare hands before leaping inside. Tessa knew the shed was unattached from the house and under technicalities wasn't listed under the deed, given that it was constructed after their dad bought and fixed up the house so vampires did not need an invitation to enter. Klaus held an evil glint in his eyes as he moved over towards her mother.

"No!" Tessa screamed as she fought against the burning ropes now. She knew what he would do. Her fear was coming to life, and she had a front row seat to witness it. "No! Klaus! No! Don't!" It was useless to try and pull her arms against the ropes binding her. The ropes binding her to the chair were still soaked from the vervain water being poured over her. "Klaus! Stop! No!" Her mother wasn't listening to her, she was busy fighting Stefan, and it gave Klaus the opening he needed. He sunk his jaws into her neck, and Tessa knew her mother was good, but not good enough to face Klaus single-handedly.

"Klaus!" Tessa's tone caught his attention as he yanked Chevonne away from Stefan, and turned facing her. Chevonne glared at her daughter darkly. "Leave her alone!" Tessa pleaded her azure blue eyes wide with fear. Her mother's life was in Klaus's hands and she knew with one wrong word he could end it all there.

He grinned at Tessa, his dark eyes surrounded by veins with yellow orbs glowing in them, and his teeth red with blood, it showed vibrantly against the white of his fangs. "And, what do I get out of this, love? I don't exactly let people go; it could tarnish the reputation." He finished his open mouth hovering over Chevonne's bloody neck.

"Me!" Tessa cried in a panic. "Me! Without the need for compulsion! You'll have my loyalty- I'll do anything you ask. Just-just let her go. Please."

Klaus looked as though he were debating on it, he shrugged releasing her mother only to knock her over the head with the handle of the knife Stefan knocked out of her hands earlier. Tessa breathed a sigh of relief, however, she had no idea what it is she signed up for.

"If you're going to die on me, the least you can do is look good while doing it." He said with a smirk. He quickly cut the vervain ropes from her arms. Tessa's body visibly relaxed against the chair. Klaus's eyes took in her painful looking arms and his eyes moved over her blistered, and scarred skin. Vampires healed well enough so he knew that wouldn't scar, but he wasn't sure about the knife.

"Tell me, how severe is this knife injury?" He asked moving to get a better look at her arm.

"I'm lucky all she did was cut my arm," Tessa replied softly her eyes jumped from Klaus to Stefan and back again. She didn't want to trust him but was finding herself with no other alternative- not to mention. He did save her life and at her pleading… spared a hunter. "The knife renders a vampires essence non-magical. It prevents the magic from healing any sort of injury it causes." Klaus's eyes moved to her face. Tessa saw that he seemed to be taking her in.

Klaus could hardly believe his ears- he would've been skeptical if the proof hadn't been right in front of his face. The cut Tessa had gotten from the knife wasn't healed, nor did it look like it was going to anytime soon. The blood was clotting, and the skin around the cut was angry red and raised. His eyes looked at her face again. There was no sign of lying in her bright blue eyes, her orange-red hair was slick and wet against her sensitive scalp. Her straight nose was pointed and, led down to her pout of pink lips. He took in her slight overbite and long neck. Her skin was still red and swollen. He knew moving her from the chair would be painful, but he was way behind his set schedule and didn't much care. She already swore her loyalty to him.

"Let's go." Was all he said to her he stowed away her mother's knife in the back of his jeans and moved to help Tessa stand. Stefan came up on her other side and they both walked her out around her house to the driveway where he'd not so subtly parked his Freightliner.

Tessa woke up in the passenger seat of the truck leaning against the window. She sat up the bright light of the sun blinding her. She groaned covering her eyes but then paused. "How-how am I-?"

"It's called a daylight ring, love." A British accent answered her. She looked over at Klaus almost alarmed, but then glanced down at her hand where a new beautiful blue pendant sparkled in the shining sun. The ring rested against her middle finger on her right hand.

"Yes, I know about daylight rings." She told him annoyance clear in her tone, "I'm just wondering how on earth you came by one so quickly."

"What makes you think I didn't have that last night? I just wanted your loyalty before I placed it on your finger."

She looked up at Klaus from the ring on her finger, "Why do you want my loyalty anyway? Why is that so important to you?" She was growing to understand his way of thinking, and it seemed he came from a place of paranoia, and darkness.

"Well, I do have quite a long list of enemies, you never know when a skill of a hunter is needed." He shrugged. Tessa watched as the sun shone golden in his hair, and the wind from the highway they were currently speeding down tousled his curls.

"Wait…" She began looking around in the truck- which she knew what you saw was what you got. "Where's Stefan?"

"Don't worry about him, sweetheart. He's safely tucked in the back of the truck. Just getting some downtime."

She scoffed at his lie, "Yeah, if by 'down time' you mean suffering from a broken neck." She told him figuring that something happened between the two if he wasn't up here in the cab with a daylight ring on his finger.

Klaus glanced over at her from the driver's seat, and by the way, the sun was shining down on him from over the horizon she had to remind herself that Klaus was anything but angelic. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice filled with actual concern for her, which caught Tessa by surprise.

"Well, my eyebrows don't hurt." She answered as she waggled them. Every other part of her was sore- mostly her skin. It healed, but it left new skin across her body from the burns-which was tight and uncomfortable. "Klaus, where are we going? What's in Mystic Falls for you?" He looked back out the front window again purposely not answering her question. Tessa sighed knowing that if he didn't want to give her any answers; she wouldn't get any. She couldn't shake this feeling that he was planning on using her for something, she just didn't know what. So she kept waiting for the other foot to drop.

After an hour or so Tessa found Klaus turning off the exit ramp, soon after that they passed a sign stating they were entering the great town of Mystic Falls, she could feel her heart pumping through her in excitement she wasn't sure where he was taking her to, but she found herself eager for the escape, eager to get far away from her family, and any problems they brought with them. He parked the truck quickly on the main street in the town. He hopped out wordlessly leaving Tessa to wonder if she should follow, once she felt Klaus unlock the cage door she got out and walked towards the back. Rebekah greeted her with a fang-y smile and a girlish wave, "Oh, hello darling." Tessa looked back to Klaus her face scrunched into a confused expression.

"Just a moment, love." He told her his eyebrows twitching up, copying her gesture from inside the truck. With that said, he closed the truck door, but not before she took in the sight of Stefan lying on the bed of the hitched on trailer. She opened her mouth to ask what that was about but thought better of it with a glance to Rebekah's hardened glare. Tessa figured out quickly that she wasn't exactly Rebekah's favorite person.

"Don't think you're special, my dear. I've seen my brother move from girl to girl over the centuries. He has yet to enlighten me what exactly it is he wants from you, but I can assure you. It's something not easily given."

"I don't-."

"You're of some use to him, otherwise you wouldn't be here," Rebekah argued further. Before Tessa could respond accordingly the latch on the door wriggled, and the metal door was lifted. "Welcome back to Mystic Falls, Stefan," Klaus said in his modulated tone of voice. Tessa watched Stefan slowly walk towards the door as he shielded his eyes from the harsh sunlight, his face a mix of worry and shock. Tessa wasn't sure what was taking place right now, but she knew it was serious for Stefan to look worried

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 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	5. Senior Prank Night

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you. I hope you're enjoying the read thus far. Please review! Thank you again all! Now, just a little side note... I went back through to watch it again to make sure the dialogue was accurate, and when Stefan is taking to Rebekah in the truck as he's asking about Elena... I wasn't sure if she referred to her as 'cow' or said 'gal' with her heavy accent, but according to the subtitles she says cow so that's what I went with. I still wasn't totally convinced, but Rebekah did hold some animosity towards her.**

 **Chapter 5: Senior Prank NIght  
**

Tessa had been sitting in the dark again for what felt like hours. The truck was nearly empty aside from the knocked out Stefan lying across the way and a bunch of coffins further back, deeper into the truck. She huffed as the door was opened for a what she felt was the hundredth time that night. Klaus had been in and out of the back all day just aggressively breaking Stefan's neck. Klaus's sister stood there in the doorway looking more tall and mighty than usual. Tessa stared up at her from her seated position against the wall of the truck.

Rebekah smirked down at her no doubt a witty remark at the tip of her tongue when a soft groan broke the girl's attention from one another. Tessa looked over to see Stefan's hand rubbing the back of his neck, as he turned over to keep Rebekah in his sights. Tessa stood slowly now, she hadn't wanted anything to do with Stefan, and she'd been wary of him since he'd turned her.

"Ah, he lives." Rebekah greeted.

"What happened?" Stefan asked. The expression on his face was wary as he took in the darkness outside the truck. He'd been locked inside all day.

"You took a beating. My brother's been breaking your neck all afternoon. Quite the temper." She replied as she leaned her smaller frame nonchalantly against the doorway, her arms were crossed now in a defensive manner.

"Why did he bring us back to Mystic Falls?" Stefan asked pulling himself up to his feet.

"You can stop playing dumb now," Her head tilted in a maniacal way as she looked down at Stefan. Tessa could feel the tension shift suddenly, "It didn't take him long to figure out what you've been hiding." Tessa could hear the challenge she threw down in her tone of voice

"I'm not hiding anything," Stefan replied. The pair now ignoring Tessa's existence in the truck all together now, "I've done everything Klaus has asked me to." He was moving slowly, closer and, closer towards Rebekah. Tessa felt the steady building of tension and knew this was her shot at getting away.

"No, you just failed to mention that the doppelganger is still alive." As she said this Tessa watched her stand in the middle of the opening blocking the only way out. Tessa knew she was set there to prevent their exiting.

"Where is Klaus now?" Stefan asked turning away from Rebekah now as he took in his surroundings almost looking for something he could use against her.

"With any luck, ripping that cow's bloody head off." She replied quickly with a slight smirk.

Tessa felt her instincts kick in. She knew there had to be humans in the school the siblings had mentioned, and-vampire or not, she intended on keeping her responsibilities by preventing the unnecessary deaths of human life. Her emotions were in turmoil at the choices she had to make- it was rather ironic, the very monster that lived on the lives stolen from other's was set in her ways of saving them. Stefan reacted quickly, it pulled Tessa from her mind and into the present. He was more fierce than Tessa had seen before. At vampire speed, he tackled Rebekah out of the truck and they slammed onto the pavement below. She heard some vaguely growled words exchanged, but by that point, her body had reacted and she jumped out landing on running legs as she made her way towards the high school.

Tessa had run about fifteen minutes, unsure if she was even going in the right direction until she found a sign that read, Mystic Falls High School continuing on she didn't know as to how she'd even get in, but she knew that either Stefan or Rebekah would not be far behind her. Looking at the building before her, she knew the pool she saw through the window would be the easiest spot of entry. She was pleasantly surprised to find the doors unlocked- much unlike in Chicago; they must keep things unlocked in this small town. Obviously feeling secure enough to do that. A pair of students stood before her with confused expressions a blonde guy, and a darker girl. Toilet paper littered the expanse of the pool, she knew immediately what they were doing. She'd just entered college. She could recall being invited to prank night at her high school, but she'd had more pressing matters to accomplish like fighting vampires- not too mention any attention on her family was bad attention. Her mother drilled into her that she was to remain under the radar since she was little- that meant no spectacular accomplishments, as well as no failing grades or bad attitudes, average was what she'd been told to be her whole life.

"Uh, hello?" The man across the pool said in a confused tone. That's when Tessa felt it, the girl before her was a witch, the power was rolling across the room from her- it seemed dampened, but Tessa knew what it felt like given that she had been one in life.

"Hi." She responded her voice soft and hoarse from lack of use.

"I- uhm. I was looking for someone. Thought they said they were coming here and I- I wanted to prevent anything… bad from happening so to speak." Her cryptic message only seemed to set the par over the edge. The girl must've had a good read on Tessa's power as well because in the next minute Tessa fell to her knees and grasped her head, as pain rolled through it.

"You're a vampire,- Matt, get out of here!"

"No! I mean no harm!" Tessa shouted through the pain. Her head felt like a flame was tearing through her brain, right in half. She heard a scoff but then felt the pain subsiding. "I'm a vampire hunter." Tessa continued on.

"A what?" The male- Matt asked. He stood behind the witch closer to the door, but his face had an intrigued expression on it.

"A vampire hunter," Tessa replied now on her knees against the tiled floor looking across the pool at both of them. "Unfortunately with the help of Klaus- a newly turned vampire, yes, but I- I grew up protecting people, and those instincts don't just go away overnight."

"A vampire… vampire hunter?" Matt asked slowly, his eyebrow quirking in disbelief.

"Yes. I came to help." She reasoned. "I-I was brought into town by some bad people, and I'm fairly certain their plan is to murder someone tonight."

The girl stared at her untrusting, while the guy simply looked more and more intrigued, "What- what's happening?"

"This guy- Klaus brought me here-." She didn't get much beyond that before the pair's face changed to one of fear. The guy and the witch-girl spoke at the same time, interrupting Tessa.

"Klaus is here? In Mystic Falls?"

"Oh my god. Elena." The witch-girl paused momentarily before she mentioned a name that got Tessa blood boiling. "What about Stefan?" She saw the recognition on the pairs face and put it all together. Tessa worked quickly thinking of this doppelganger Klaus had mentioned to Rebekah, and the high school, the kids knowing Stefan clearly all fit. This was where Stefan lived.

"Where is Stefan? Is he okay?" The guy asked his eyes taking on a now concerned expression.

"Why would you think I cared?" Tessa snapped angrily, "He's the one responsible for killing me."

Tessa knew then that these people would not listen to her, not if they'd befriended him. The pair was struck with dumbfounded silence at her words and, before they could convince her otherwise Tessa moved on racing from the pool through to a different door into the school now hell-bent on searching out Stefan. She heard the witch-girl shout after her, it was something about Klaus, but at that point, Tessa had her own fight to contend with, so she'd moved on quickly.

She'd been searching through the classrooms only to find random junk left out in almost every one of them, half-finished pranks as though the kids putting them together had been caught in the midst and told to leave. She huffed moving on down from hallway to hallway until talking and crying pulled her away in a new direction. She moved closer, and closer towards the noise. She thought about figuring out tonight that Stefan was from here, making her wonder just how many vampires took up residence in this small town.

A girl's voice pulled her from her thoughts as she moved up to the double doors before her, "Don't Klaus! You don't have to hurt anybody." Tessa looked through the little windows that the gymnasium doors had offered, she could hear nervous heartbeats and noted there were three humans with Klaus.

"Oh come on love, of course, I do." He replied with an evil smile looking down at the dark haired girl next to him. The pair of humans before them wore confused expressions, Tessa knew straight away that they'd been compelled. The tall, lean girl standing in front of Klaus stood on one foot while her male companion looked on. A few minutes passed before she heard the girl next to Klaus ask about Stefan only further cementing her idea that he was from this town. Maybe even went to this school. Quick footsteps behind her caused Tessa to run and hide, she didn't want her element of surprise on Klaus to drop out from under her- that seemed to be her only leverage over him. She jumped back safely hidden behind the long line of lockers, crouched down at the end of the closest row. The gym doors opened and Tessa watched witch-girl and, Matt enter the gym from her hiding spot.

Tessa was confused at the lack of violence Klaus was showing- she'd expected more destruction from him- given what she'd heard about him, and his displays of violence towards her mother just the night before. He was reasoning with the witch-girl, whose real name was Bonnie. Giving her time to find a solution to whatever his problem was. Then within a few more moments, Tessa ducked down to hide from Rebekah who was obnoxiously stomping about with a dark eyed, dark haired boy in tow. With that, Tessa returned to the window her anxiousness only rising at how many humans were in danger now by simply being held in the gym. That's when it was revealed to her that Klaus was trying to create a race of werewolf-vampire hybrids. She knew then that he had to be stopped. The mere thought of how powerful those hybrids would be was scary enough let alone that he was undoubtedly going to be making more than one of them.

He propositioned The witch-girl Bonnie to find a way to save his hybrids- otherwise, the werewolf would be dead as well. An audible snap of the neck ensued and Tessa reacted. She stood in the doorway breathing heavily. She was fighting the urge she felt to tear into the necks of all the humans, considering she hadn't fed at all during the day. She knew that this was going to be rough.

"Well, hello there." Klaus greeted her with a smile.

Tessa's expression hardened into a glare at Klaus's warm greeting. She regretted having to face this type of thing on her own- in a normal situation she'd have back up hunter's with her- but, she quickly reminded herself that this wasn't a hunt- so to speak. "I hate to the bearer of bad news, but you do realize how insane you are, right?" She asked him, her sarcasm getting the best of her. Klaus chuckled now laughter bubbling up in him. Rebekah looked back at her with an angry expression.

"I wondered where you'd gone off too…" She was the closest to Tessa from where she stood. "You must be the insane one for coming back here." She finished taking a step closer. Tessa tensed in preparation for a fight but, it never came. Klaus interrupted his sister with a simple yell of her name. Rebekah glared at her before pulling back, giving way for Klaus to move in closer to her.

"I-I can't let you do this," Tessa told him, her voice soft. Her tone was weak and opposite of what her words conveyed, and she didn't like it.

"Well love," Klaus began. His voice soft as he leaned in closer to her absently tucking a long orange-red strand of hair behind her ear, "I wasn't asking permission." He finished turning away from her. He was dismissing her as a threat and it only pissed her off further. She lashed out at him, attempting to kick out his knee, but he was faster of course. He slammed into her almost pressing them front to front as his hand caught her leg by the back of her knee preventing her from moving it. His other hand held her wrists together above her head. She was balancing on one foot effectively pinned against the hard wall behind her.

"So I see we already need to be reminded of what took place last night then." Klaus seethed. She could see the anger written all over his face, and it was intimidating. Especially when seeing it this close. Tessa gasped in surprise when she felt him pull her leg upwards slowly leaving her with less and less balance. Her senses were still very much heightened from being turned just a week prior- she still had to adjust, and what she was beginning to feel stir within her was anything but what should have been felt in a moment like this. "You swore to do as I asked, and right now… I am asking you to stand by me. You're not to get in my way, fight me, or stop me from doing as I wish, understand?" Tessa's eyebrows pulled down into a frown. She felt her eyes harden into yet another glare, and her mouth set in a defiant pout.

Klaus jerked her from the wall suddenly and slammed her on her back against the gym floor. She gasped in surprise to find him above her holding her mother's hunter's knife to her throat, "You don't even know how to use that." She hissed up at him. She was even more mad that he'd stoop so low as to threaten her with the very thing her family had created.

"Oh, I'm sure it's very simple, love." He said. His eyes moved to her arm as he quickly cut her arm where her mother had just the night before. She cried out in pain as it radiated up her arm. The scar tissue had been cut deeper than when her mother had done it just the previous night. "I know how to wield a knife." He told her.

Swallowing the fear creeping up on her Tessa replied quickly her voice soft, "If you wanted me dead, you'd have killed me the day I awoke."

Klaus stared down at her challengingly, "Careful, hunter. You're still here on my good judgment. I could change my mind if you are to prove as useless as Stefan has." He swiftly pulled the knife away from her and tucked it into the waist of his jeans sliding it within its sheath. He looked up at Bonnie, and Matt from his crouched position over Tessa and muttered, "Tick tock… better hurry if you want Elena and The were-wolf to live past tonight." The scurry of footsteps signaled Tessa that the number of humans in danger just went down by two.

"Elena, please." Klaus said now gesturing to the tall bleaches aligning the wall of the gym closest to him, "Have a seat." With that, the small framed, lean girl with long dark hair, walked hesitantly towards the bleachers.

"So this is the latest doppelganger?" Tessa turned her head to see Rebekah moving in close alongside Elena. "The original one was much prettier."

"Enough Rebekah," Klaus said in a tired voice. "Take the wolf-boy elsewhere, would you?" He asked as he stood to his feet, still beside Tessa. He reached down and, offered a hand to pull her up, but Tessa still stubbornly refused as she pushed herself to her own feet. The three remaining watched as Rebekah left dragging the unconscious kid behind her. Tessa sighed still feeling out of it.

"What's the matter, love? Hungry?" Klaus asked.

Tessa's annoyance went up at his words, "Well we do have two very healthy and I'm sure is persuaded, willing donors right over there." Klaus gestured to the scared couple across the gym from them.

"No." Tessa said looking at Klaus with wide eyes, "Please. No. I-I already killed one. I can't do it again. I can't."

He smirked at her moving swiftly to the humans, "Ah yes. Stefan did mention that. Although, I'm not sure it counts as seeing the man had just died in a car accident." Klaus grabbed the boy by his arm and cut it with the hunter's knife. Of course, the magic had no effect on him, but the scent of blood filled the air.

Tessa's new heightened senses reacted as she felt her fangs elongate and her eyes change. Thinking quickly she turned towards the door and made a move to run only to come face to face with Stefan entering. He grabbed Tessa and turned her back to Klaus holding her arms at her side. "Klaus." Stefan greeted as the pair stared at one another.

"Come to save your damsel, mate?" Klaus asked his hold over the boy's arm not wavering an inch.

"I came to ask for your forgiveness." Klaus's expression showed shock briefly before it was wiped of any emotions, "And, pledge my loyalty." He finished. Tessa tried to throw him off her to no avail.

"Well, you broke that pledge once already-." Klaus began as he dropped the boy's arm now.

"Elena means nothing to me anymore," Stefan said his voice growing in volume. He walked forwards pushing Tessa even closer to the smell that was driving her mad. Her stomach was screaming at her to act, and the scent caused her to feel light-headed and dizzy. "And, whatever you ask of me, I will do." He finished.

Klaus's eyes looked at Tessa and moved above her to Stefan. He was almost a whole head taller than her. The top of Tessa's head was up to his chin, and she took advantage of that. Jerking forwards she quickly slammed her head back into his. They connected with an audible crack and she knew his jaw had broken. His grip on her eased up and she threw herself from his hold trying to put some distance between her and the man who killed her.

Klaus laughed when she suddenly felt his arm around her shoulder, "You know, I don't think I'll ever get tired of you two fighting. It is really entertaining." Tessa shrugged out of his grasp as she watched Stefan quickly reset his jaw. "Well, anyways. Fair enough, Stefan. Let's drink on it, both of you." At his last words, he pointedly looked to Tessa.

"You two. Kill them." He again gestured at the now terrified couple standing to their feet looking on edge. Stefan and, I both hesitated clearly not wanting to. "What're you waiting for? Go on, kill them."

"No don't. Stefan. He's not gonna hurt me. He already said-." The girl. Elena had stood up protesting, but Klaus had cut her off mid-sentence by slapping her sending her frail body to the floor. Stefan reacted. He flew by Tessa and moved to attack Klaus. There were a few seconds of hand-to-hand combat before Klaus held him by the throat, at arm's length.

"She means nothing to you? Your lies just keep piling up." Klaus said his face set in an angry expression.

"Let her go." Tessa watched as Stefan's demeanor changed. She could see that this girl had a profound effect on him. "I'll do whatever you want, you have my word!"

"Your word doesn't mean much." Klaus replied coldly, "I've lived by your word all summer. During which time, I never had to resort to this-. Stop fighting." Tessa watched tense unsure of what would happen. Stefan was muttering, "Don't. Don't do this."

"I didn't want to," Klaus replied. "All I wanted was your allegiance now, unlike your smart little fledgling, Tessa. I'm going to have to take it." Tessa could hear Stefan begging for his free will, but she knew that Stefan had already pushed Klaus too far.

"You will do exactly as I say when I say it. You will not run. You will not hide. You will simply just obey." Klaus stared at Stefan his gaze locked. Tessa looked on, shock clear on her face as it sunk in that Klaus held the power of compulsion over vampires- she was unsure of all that the originals could do. She hadn't had the chance to read up on it given that her mother had just given her the task before sending her off to Chicago where it was rumored for Klaus to be residing. Stefan took a step back, his expression blank as his haze of compulsion lifted.

"No." Tessa's eyes shifted to Elena at her voice. She was sitting up watching the scene before her from the floor. "Stefan." She kept trying to distract him, but Tessa dealt with enough compelled humans to understand the effects. There was no deterring them from the task at hand. "Now kill them. Ripper." Klaus said. As Stefan rushed the girl to feed Klaus returned his eyes to Tessa.

"Now love, Don't make me have to compel you, or worse." He told her as he took the knife from his jeans. It glinted in the light of the gym. Tessa looked to Elena, her eyes changing at the scent of blood from Stefan's victim.

"Not her. Him." Klaus gestured to the terrified boy backing away from what seemed to be his girlfriend and the unhinged vampire feeding on her. Within seconds, Tessa's grip over herself slipped. Her eyes changed quickly flashing dark as the veins around them began to show through her skin. The boy took off at a run and her predatory instincts kicked in. In a flash, she stood before him catching him in her arms as she pulled him closer to bite into his neck. The blood flowed over her tongue and as she drank, it felt like electricity running in her veins. The dead body she'd fed on was nothing compared to this. She felt her strength increasing ten-fold, and her ears focused in on the sound of his heart beat steadily slowing. She was so caught up in her euphoria that she hadn't realized she'd drained the boy of his blood. His limp body thudded to the wood floor as she looked up and around for more. Her eyes quickly found Elena and her ears tuned in to her steady heartbeat and the sound of blood pumping through her veins. Tessa just simply reacted she lunged at her.

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 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	6. Fatal Attraction

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you. I hope you're enjoying the read thus far. Please enjoy!**

 **Alright, my apologies for the short length, but I've been struggling getting anything out for this chapter, the next one is filled with some promising action, for furthering the storyline anyway. Anyone looking to help beta would be given some major thought- mostly just I'm just needing someone to bounce some ideas off of, and tell me whether it makes sense with continuing to further the plot. Anyways, it is now almost three am and I am dead tired so goodnight all! Hope you enjoy it!**

 **Chapter 6: Fatal Attraction**

A soft groan signaled to Klaus that the girl residing next to him in the passenger seat was awakening, "Welcome back, love." He said with a glance in her direction. Tessa sat up groggily as her hand massaged the back of her neck feeling it stiff and sore.

"What happened?" She asked her voice hoarse as she quickly realized she was in a car moving at a rather fast pace down the highway, "Where am I?"

"Headed up north for a bit. Plans changed unexpectedly, and we had to get out of Mystic Falls." He explained with a vague answer- not really answering anything. "Coffee?" He offered with a gesture to the styrofoam cup sitting in the cup holder.

Tessa looked over at him with a wary expression, why the hell was he being nice to her? He threatened to kill her just last night. She didn't move to grab the coffee as her glare was fixed on the driver, "Why're you glaring at me like that? Not a fan of coffee?" He asked with a crooked smile.

"I'm hoping you'll spontaneously combust." She replied her tone, biting. Which only caused Klaus to laugh at her sarcasm. He knew taking her along would prove useful, he just wasn't sure how much given her current state.

"We'll be in New York soon, love. Been driving through the night."

Tessa froze momentarily, "New-New York? Why are we going there?"

"What's wrong with New York?" He asked, clearly playing dumb.

"You are well-aware of my families whereabouts. If my mother is really hunting for me she'd have headed there yesterday to the meeting house." Klaus remained silent his eyes focused on the road as he ignored her entirely.

"You promised not to hurt my mother!" Tessa told him her voice louder than anticipated.

"I actually had no intentions of going after your family, sweetheart, but it is relieving to know that they are nearby if indeed we are to need to catch up." He answered after taking a few minutes of silence. Tessa sighed angrily as she turned to look out of the window.

"Are you going to have your coffee, love?" He asked her; pointedly changing the subject. She breathed out another breath as she leaned forward and picked the cup up from the holder while saying.

"Also, what happened last night? I mean was it worth you having to break my neck?" As she asked the last question her hand moved up to knead the back of her neck again. The stiffness hadn't quite worked itself out yet.

"Oh?" Klaus said with a glance in her direction. "You don't remember then?" Her silence was as good as an answer, "You attacked a senior, killed him. It was marvelous to watch, actually. I hadn't expected you to do it with such grace. Most first-timer's do a terrible job of it." Klaus continued rambling on about her first kill, but Tessa had checked out mentally from the conversation. She couldn't believe she killed someone. She thought she could fight it. She thought it simply wasn't in her nature, but she was a monster now. As much denial as she could put herself into she knew it was something she'd have to come to terms with. Vampires feed on the living. She was a vampire now. Tessa's jaw set in determination as she thought about how she could fight her new nature, how she'd be able to survive without human blood.

"Relax." She heard Klaus's voice piercing through her harsh thoughts, "You didn't do it of your own accord, all though, admittedly that's where I'm hoping to get you. This is a kill or be killed world, love. You'll have to choose which option you'd like."

Tessa took a gulp of her coffee now attempting to distract her mind. Silence filled the SUV as a sadness settled over Tessa. Her fingers tap-tap-tapped on her cup as her mind worked over the flashes of last night she recalled. She remembered killing the boy, and then quickly turning on Elena. Stefan grabbed her only for her to fight him- even in her bloodlust, and hungry state she couldn't stand to be within arm's length of him. Once she overcame Stefan, she turned back on Elena- that would happen with her being the only source of food in the room, luckily on Elena's part Klaus intervened. Sufficiently snapping her neck.

"Where are we going?" She asked cutting the silence her and, Klaus fell into for the last several minutes, "What're we doing in New York if not for my family?"

Klaus smirked over at her, "We are making a quick visit to who I believe is the vampire's whose blood runs through your veins." Tessa's back stiffened against the seat she was in, hazy memories now filled her mind of that night,

"I have a plan." His voice was fierce and, determined. Tessa saw straight through it though.

"Is it a good one?" She asked him shifting in the passenger seat. Robbie turned to her from the driver window. He was overlooking the exquisite building the group had picked to have their gala.

"I said I have a plan, right?" He asked with a grin. His green eyes sparkled with playfulness against his dark, jet black hair. Tessa could barely contain her smile breaking through her serious expression. Robbie's playful grin was infectious- it had been that way for as long as Tessa could remember. Their families had always been close.

"Yes, Robbie. That doesn't make it a good one, remember that hunt a few months back in Cicero?" She watched his pale, strong face change to an expression of outrage. "Yeah, because I remember your plan ending with me getting a broken leg, and us nearly dying."

"How was I supposed to know the people captured had been in transition?!" He hollered. He cut the engine to his Oldsmobile Omega. He had inherited it from his father three years ago when they had turned 18. He was psyched when his dad handed him the keys. The cherry red exterior screamed drag race at nearly every stoplight. It has been kept in near pristine condition since his father had bought it, and Robbie didn't change a thing on it.

"Well, what's your plan?" Tessa asked him as she pulled the visor down to double check her make up before they were to exit and join the black-tie party they'd been formally invited to.

"Ehh… simple. We go in, and kill what we can after we scope it out to see if the hybrid is in there." Robbie made it seem so simple.

"And, if he is…?" Tessa pressed on as she capped her lipstick and dropped it in her clutch before zipping it shut. "We have no idea if any of the usual stuff will work on him."

"Eh, that's why we don't kill him. Your mom just wants him captured. She doesn't want him killed, she was clear on that fact, Tess." Robbie pointed out.

"Yes, well. Mommy dearest isn't the one in the house putting her life at risk for the good of the many." Tessa shrugged feeling hesitant about even entering the party now.

"Hey…" She heard Robbie's silvery voice take on a calming tone. "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

Tessa felt his hand on her bare shoulder. His hand was rough in comparison to the soft and, supple skin of her shoulder. Tessa's eyes locked on his and she took him in his tux he'd rented for this hunt. She was a sucker for Robbie regardless of what he wore, but to see him dressed up and looking as classy as can be she knew she was practically putty in his hands tonight. Leaning in Tessa pressed her mouth to his, her gloved arms wrapping around his thick neck and pulling him in closer to her. Tessa felt his other hand resting on her ribs underneath the body-length, black sequined, strapless dress. She groaned softly against her boyfriend's mouth and just wanted to tell him to drive off forgetting the hunting business. However, Tessa knew better than anyone that Robbie wouldn't just leave this life alone. His family had begun hunting before he was even born. His grandmother had been killed by a vampire resulting in the life of a Hunter being passed down from one generation to the next.

Robbie's tongue slipped past her lips as his hand roamed the bodice of her dress. Tessa groaned softly against his mouth her arms unwinding from around his neck and sliding down to his chest. "Mmm, babe." She heard his raspy voice, soft, as he pulled back. "After. Okay?" He told her his lips still slightly parted. Tessa could see his breathing had picked up. With that, Tessa watched him push open the door and, step out. She waited for him to open her door before stepping a heeled shoe out as well. Robbie appeared to be adjusting his cufflinks, but Tessa knew better. He was arranging his spring-loaded stake at his wrist. Tessa knew that while on the outside they appeared to be a couple attending a high-class gala but, underneath the fancy clothes they hid almost an armory of weapons close to their skin. Her knives were tucked into her thigh highs with a knife holster wrapped even higher on her thigh. She concealed her throwing knives in her gloves, at her wrists, and that's not even counting more weapons she concealed within her bust. Tessa hooked her arm in the one Robbie offered and they walked up the walkway towards the building crawling with vampires. "Let's make this short, I have a feeling the majority of tonight is gonna be spent at your house." She could hear the grin in Robbie's voice at his last statement. Little did they know, this would be the last night the couple would have with one another.

Tessa barely escaped with her life that night. Robbie sacrificed himself in an attempt to give her the time to run, even then, Robbie had all but pushed her out the window. The vampires in the house had been tipped off that they were hunter's, and mid-party the couple had been swarmed, and the attacks started. Both Robbie and Tessa had been beaten, bitten, and drained of blood until near death. The vampires got a kick out of toying with them, causing so much physical damage to the humans until they were on the brink of and, begging for death only to heal them with their blood just to do it all over again. The vampires at the party were trying to pump the hunter's for information, why they were there; what or more specifically whom they wanted and if there were more hunters coming.

Tessa had stood her ground, but it was Robbie that caved. Once the vampires tortured Tessa to the point of her blacking out Robbie told them whatever they wanted. He couldn't stand to see Tessa in pain, or otherwise. When the vampires were convinced the hunter's had blacked out they fed them blood and left giving their bodies time to recuperate before the final round. Robbie took advantage of the solitude to cut out of their bindings- he worked quickly as he told Tessa in hushed tones to come back with more hunter's, but he knew deep down that they wouldn't be back in time to save him. Tessa fought him, but their voices grew louder and louder resulting in vampires coming back. Robbie pushed Tessa out the window, saving her life, but condemning his own.

"I don't- I don't want to. Klaus, I can't."

"Hmm…" He started as he flicked on the blinker while changing lanes to make a quick exit, "I don't recall asking your permission, love." He told her simply. It was his way of pretty much reminding Tessa that she was just an object he elected to tote around with.

"Why are you even still with me?" She asked him angrily as her arms crossed over her chest.

"Would you believe it if I said that I simply enjoy the pleasure of your company?" He asked her with a grin that dazzled Tessa for a few seconds. The more time Tessa spent with Klaus the harder it was to deny that he was in fact, quite charming.

"No. I wouldn't in the slightest." She replied bitterly over compensating her lack of disgust with her tone.

"While your attitude could use some work, you are easy on the eyes there, love." His openly admitted attraction caused Tessa to react without thinking. Her sudden intake of breath was a dead giveaway- she knew he'd heard it, and her lingering stare was easily spotted. She turned away from him covering it all with a noise of disgust, but unfortunately for her. He commented on it immediately.

"Fight it all you want, love." He told her from his seat, she could hear the laughter he held back, "I know that you're at odds with yourself, given your new appreciation for me."

While her mind drifted back to the other night when he had her pressed against the wall, Tessa scoffed loudly in response to his suggestion, "I'm sorry, Klaus, but I would never. You're a monster that only serves your own agenda, and has little regard for anyone's life but your own. You're incapable of ever being loved."

"Loved?" Klaus laughed loudly as the SUV rolled to a stop. "Loved?" He asked again as he continued to laugh now causing embarrassment at her choice of words to grow within Tessa. "Oh no, darling. There is no such thing as love for vampires. Love is a weakness for us. It will always be that way, any type of emotion is a sign of weakness. Love, Guilt, Rage. Those emotions are felt with such passion that it will kill you. Hence why-."

"Your teaching me to kill." Tessa cut him off as everything clicked into place.

"Precisely, the more you kill, the less you feel-."

"I don't want to be you." Tessa cut him off quickly without thinking it through. "You're just paranoid about being alone, that's why I'm here. Your sister even caught on to-." Before she knew it Klaus reacted to her words. Stoplight or not he lunged for her throat as he yanked her in close to his face- which was twisted in anger. Tessa's fear jumped into her throat, but she swallowed it back down.

"You, my dear, know nothing about Niklaus Mikaelson. I am the original hybrid, I can do things your pretty little head couldn't even imagine. People quake with fear at the mere mention of my name. I am everything you should aspire to be if you plan to remain among the living." There was a pause in which she watched Klaus's blue eyes roam the expanse of her face, and with that, he pulled her face to his and pressed his mouth to hers. His lips were surprisingly soft against hers. His hold on her throat had eased as his fingers moved to caress her chin. She could practically feel her body relaxing into the kiss, a groan quite nearly tearing from her throat as he tossed her back against the passenger door at the sound of a horn honking. She was left leaning against the door, her breath coming in uneven gasps as she stared at him across the cab wide-eyed and unsure of what to do. As Klaus stepped on the gas he glanced at her while donning a smirk on his lips.

"You can deny it to yourself all you want love, but your attraction to me is quite obvious." Tessa sent him a glare but kept her mouth shut inwardly cursing him, and this new fatal attraction.

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 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	7. Turn It Off

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you. I hope you're enjoying the read thus far. Please enjoy!**

 **Hope you enjoy it!**

 **Chapter 7: Turn It Off**

Tessa had remained silent through the rest of the drive up to New York until Klaus pulled the SUV off to the side of the road before an exquisite house. It stood with a beige color, windows all along the front of it. The house appeared to look as though it had been made bigger with additions on either side. The entrance way seemed to look as though it connected the two, a garage took up the far side. Tessa thought that given the driveway went past the front door around to the far end forming a dead end there. It was huge, standing at two floors. A porch sat on the left side of the house rounded off along the corner. It wrapped around the left side around to the back. Tessa wasn't sure who lived here, but it was made clear that money was not an issue for them.

"I'd say stay here, but you'd prove more useful to me inside. C'mon love." Klaus told her as he killed the engine and opened his door moving out he made his way across the street towards the ginormous monster before them. Tessa followed him closely not knowing what to expect. Klaus moved up over the well-manicured lawn with the barren trees in the fall air. He hadn't even knocked, just twisted the knob sufficiently breaking the lock on it as he shoved it open. The deadbolt took a chunk of the door frame out when he'd pushed it open.

"What the hell?!" Came a shout from the landing above. The door opened to a front hall with stairs along the far wall. A woman stood there with an outraged expression. A tall woman jumped down from the landing above and made a move to attack Klaus. He easily caught her before she could even hit the floor and threw her further down the hall, into what appeared to be a kitchen. Tessa stood there shocked by the scene of vampires fighting before her. She reacted fast when Klaus had been cornered by several of the vampires of the house. The knife he'd kept tucked into his jeans at the waist came sliding across the bright, white tiles of the hall. Stooping low, Tessa picked up her mother's hunting knife. She unsheathed it and within moments was back in action. Her body seemed to move as if in a daze, her muscle memory still there in the back of her mind. She grabbed at the nearest vampire pulling the big, muscular guy first. He'd had Klaus by the throat while the other had attempted to cuff his arms in what appeared to be an ancient pair of shackles. Tessa swiftly stuck the knife in his heart, her aim was perfect as she felt the knife meet some resistance. She felt the handle warm as the magic seeped through the blade and into the vampire's body. She watched the fear creep into his eyes before the light faded out and his body lost any and all liveliness. Tessa used the landing she was standing on at the front door to her advantage. She swiftly brought her foot up in between them and kicked the now dead vampire from her. She flipped her orange-red hair from her face and met eyes with her next victim.

Klaus shouted in anger as he kicked someone away from him, and it dropped the female directly into Tessa's path. She could hear his growls as he viciously attacked the vampires one by one leaving them groaning in pain with broken appendages, and torn into throats open and gushing blood. The woman was familiar, Tessa stood there taking her in until it hit her. She was there the night her, and Robbie had been ambushed. The dark woman moved forwards slowly as she fell into a defensive stance. Tessa eyed her opponent up and down getting a sense that this one was very old and powerful. Her dark brown eyes watched Tessa calculatingly, her eyes lingered over her Hunter's knife with interest. There wasn't an ounce of recognition in them as she stared at Tessa with a confident, smug smirk. Her closely cropped hair was jet-black. The woman's confident demeanor and memories flashing through her headset Tessa on edge. Tessa felt her face harden in determination as she recalled Robbie. She was set on taking this one vampire down, and she planned to even if it killed her. Tessa moved quickly to strike at her, only to have her first swipe with the knife be countered. The woman hands were surprisingly rough, while the rest of her sepia colored skin looked soft to the touch. Tessa found herself slammed against the wall front-first while the woman asked in an accented, throaty voice, "How is it such a newly turned vampire, such as yourself came to find a blade such as this?" The woman's hand stroked Tessa's hand and wrist where the knife was held in a vice grip.

"Family Heirloom," Tessa replied scathingly through gritted teeth as she knocked her head back swiftly head-butting the vampire behind her. The woman was knocked back a step, but that was all Tessa needed. She shoved her whole body backward pushing the woman away from the wall and it put Tessa on top. She moved quickly to strike the woman in the heart with the blade only to be stopped by a voice.

"Enough!" It was Klaus. Tessa had forgotten all about him, until now anyway. She halted the blade above her head as she pinned the woman beneath her.

"Why should I listen to you?" Tessa tested angrily her eyes were a glare at her situation, but they never left the dark woman below her.

"We need Aya. We need her to get to Tristan." Klaus told her. Tessa still didn't move.

"Who the hell is Tristan, and what makes you think I care to help you in any way, I'm a vampire hunter. This is what I do Klaus."

"Ah, ah, ah. You were a vampire hunter, not anymore love. Now you are what you hunted." Klaus just loved to taunt her Tessa thought angrily she felt him come up behind her bending low to tell her softly in her ear, "You have been made better in every way, your skills have sharpened, your aim is more accurate, even your rage that fuels your fight has been intensified, hasn't it?" Tessa felt a shiver run up her spine and knew it had nothing to do with the words spoken. She felt Klaus chuckle softly his breath softly moving her hair that fell over her ear as he pulled away. She only knew Klaus for a few short days, but she knew his personality to be that of an instigator- he seemed to get a kick out of setting people on edge of any form.

"Put the blade to her throat love, I need information out of the woman before we kill her."

Aya's barking laugh was cut short when Tessa pressed her knife against the woman's throat. The vampire glared up at Tessa with dark eyes now realizing the threat, "I will kill you."

Tessa laughed now her head moving back by inches while keeping the woman below her within sight. "If you could, you would have by now."

"Ability is not in question, right now, little one. I suppose it's more a matter of allies, and mine seem to be out at the moment." The last part of her answer was directed at Klaus.

He chuckled, "You don't think I don't know that, Aya? I knew Tristan was out, otherwise, he'd have been down here the instant I set foot in this house. I thought we'd have the chance to catch up on a newly transformed vampire of your own while we wait. It seems to me a few weeks ago the Strix members had increased by one?"

"What of it?" She snapped angrily as Aya tried to buck her hips up to throw Tessa only to have the knife press against her throat after a blow to the head. Tessa's hits seemed to only piss off Aya further, and she was enjoying it.

"Well that said new Strix member was a hunter prior to being turned, wasn't he?" Klaus continued to press. Tessa's ears perked up at that her mind instantly going to Robbie. Aya rolled her eyes from under Tessa.

"Your point, Niklaus," Aya said in an annoyed tone.

"I want a name of the vampire that turned said, hunter," Klaus stated as he stopped pacing around the two women.

"Why? What's it to you?" Tessa watched as Aya's eyes moved from Klaus's direction above her flickering back to Tessa. "Wait. You…" Tessa watched the recognition flicker in the woman's eyes. "You were the other one. The hunter that got away."

Tessa's glare didn't let up. "You turned, Robbie?" She almost didn't recognize her own voice, it was barely above a growl. Her knife pressed against the woman's neck harder causing her to shift uncomfortably.

"Tessa, love…" Klaus's modulated voice sunk into Tessa's mind that was hazy with rage.

"Shut up, Klaus." Her voice was flat with any emotion save for anger, her eyes remained on the woman pinned beneath her by the knife. "I should kill you for that alone," Tessa told her gruffly. She thought all this time that her boyfriend was lost that night, she'd mourned for him in the weeks and weeks after that hunt. She cried for nights and nights after losing him until she became numb to everything- even the day she died. Her sister had invited her to the shopping trip to get her out of her dorm and doing something. She hadn't even gone on a hunt since that fateful night- and, now she's told that the boyfriend she'd known since they were kids was now like her, a vampire.

Tessa knew Robbie well enough to know he always had a wild streak, and becoming a vampire would only exacerbate that in him. The knife was pressed against Aya's throat so tightly that if she'd uttered a sound it would cause damage. "Tessa." Klaus's voice was sharp with anger now. "Need I remind you that you swore-."

"Words are words, Klaus. This is personal." Tessa told him her shoulder moving to dig the knife into the flesh of Aya's throat a dark line appearing, she was still on her back hissing and crying out in pain. Tessa was all too familiar with the pain the hunter's knife caused, and she still felt no pity. "Kill me if you want, but right now I'm not going to 'do as you wish', sire." She threw out the last word with as much sarcasm she could muster within her. She heard Klaus's growl behind her, but she wasn't nearly as concerned about his presence as she should have been; her sole focus was on Aya.

That's when the mood in the room shifted. Two figures appeared in the doorway, the three people in the room moved to stare as Tessa felt her shock fill her. She moved away from Aya leaving her kneading at her throat trying to quell the burning pain.

Tessa stared at the pair in the doorway slack-jawed, and in awe. A man with light eyes and blonde hair stood next to the all too familiar person. Tessa's whole world froze. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes took in as much of him as possible. Becoming a vampire paled his already light skin, it was as though the peach color was drained from his body. She stared now taking in his strong features, his face was as shocked as hers. His green eyes took her in as much as her blue ones moved up his body. "Rob-Robbie?" Her soft voice was a sharp contrast to the animal-like growl it was earlier. The bag he was carrying slipped from his hands as glass bottles smashed against one another, the group heard at least one shatter and the scent of alcohol filled the small front hall of the house.

She watched Robbie's mouth hang open while his eyes showed shock at her appearance. Sure enough, leave it to another vampire to break the moment.

"What the hell are you doing here?" The man next to Robbie asked his angry eyes moving over to Klaus now. That's when Klaus reacted, and in a flash, he had thrown the man to the wall pinning him there by his throat. Tessa moved swiftly, her hunter's knife still out as Robbie went to attack, his own out and gleaming in the sun spilling in from the doorway.

"Robbie. Don't." She said softly her eyes flickering down to the silver knife he gripped tightly. While his knife wasn't imbued with magic, it still caused immense pain seeing as how his family had forged it long ago laced with vervain in the liquid metal they used to make it. Robbie halted in his tracks his eyes once again taking every part of Tessa in. While the pair of men growled to one another behind her, Tessa's gaze was solely focused on Robbie, so much so she hadn't noticed Aya move from her spot on the floor. Aya was behind her and holding her wrist forcing the knife in Tessa's hand at her throat.

"Ah, ah, ah no Robbie." She stated as Robbie made a move to attack instantly.

"Let her go, Aya." His gruff voice sounded. She pointedly ignores him as she turned keeping Tessa against her as Klaus came into sight.

"Release him now. Or you're little hunter here can bleed out on the tile." Klaus turned, his hand no holding the man's throat tightly.

"Mine? You think that she was my creation? No, no, no… Sorry to disappoint, but the blood that turned her is the same blood that runs through his veins. At his, Tessa saw him nod to Robbie who stood behind them all looking more, and more confused by the second.

Aya stilled Tessa felt her muscles stiffen as she released the wrist freeing Tessa, "You're- you're one of us. A Strix member, then?"

Tessa's eyebrows turned down in confusion as she moved closer to Klaus feeling more secure near him. Klaus scoffed as he threw the blonde man to the floor. "She may be sired by a member of your pathetic little club, but I can assure you. She's all Mikaelson now. I've taken her under my wing as it were. I've cleaned up your mess, Tristan." At his last statement, he glared down at the blonde man- Tristan. Tessa felt one of his arms snake around her waist as he pulled her against him. Her mind drifted back to the simple kiss they shared in the SUV just an hour ago. She squirmed uncomfortably as she tried to pull herself from him, but found it impossible in his grip.

Robbie took a threatening step forwards resulting in a look from Klaus. "Want to save your girlfriend, do you?" He asked with an eyebrow quirked challengingly.

"She belongs among her own kind," Tristan said as he stood up from the floor now with a hand on Robbie's shoulder.

"Go on then, take her. You're welcome to try."

Tessa knew Klaus was using her as a way for him to goad Robbie on. Klaus was testing his limits again, however, he didn't know Robbie was likely to take him up on that challenge. Tessa fought against Klaus before he tossed her aside and attacked the three vampires before him. Tessa cried out as she made a move forwards only to be shoved back by Klaus knocking her against the shelving along the wall within the room. Dishes and, China shattered as her body slammed against the glass doors. She knew instantly that this house had belonged to someone before they overtook it, probably murdering the actual owner leaving the deed open to new owners.

Tessa watched wide-eyed as Klaus took ahold of Robbie's neck from behind. Her world froze once again as she stared her fear causing her body to lock up. "Klaus. Don't."

"Why's that, love?" He asked her as the other two vampires raced out of the house quickly using the opportunity to their advantage. "See that? There's no loyalty amongst the self-righteous. A whole lot of egotistical vampires out for themselves. You've come to associate with the wrong crowd, haven't you?" Klaus's last statement was right at Robbie's ear which only pissed Robbie off further. Tessa watched as anger filled his green eyes. He tried to fight Klaus but was unsuccessful.

"Robbie. Stop!" Tessa yelled her fear displayed on her face like a billboard.

Her fear made Robbie pause as he stared at her questioningly. "Well, I got my answer. I had a feeling you knew each other. As soon as you mentioned a party when I'd met you-. Well, I just knew it was the stupid cult-like people that my brother had started a few centuries back." Klaus was looking at Tessa now as he spoke.

"Scared? Are you, darling? Maybe I'll keep him to be used as leverage. I mean, you do seem to have a hard time following orders, better than Stefan was, but still…" Klaus seemed to be debating something. Tessa watched his twisted mind working behind his light eyes. He was content now, he had the control he wanted in the situation.

"Please. Let him go, Klaus. He has nothing to do with this. Your problem is with me-." As Tessa spoke she watched something flash in his eyes, and then Robbie yelled in pain. The cracking and, squelching sounds were all she needed to hear to know now held Robbie's life in his hand, literally.

"Beg me again for his life, Tessa." Klaus threatened. His eyes focused on her. Tessa was confused, she assumed he'd want control but something was off. "Go on. Beg me."

Tessa remained silent unsure of what to do. The love of her life was in the palm of this man's hands, and she couldn't tell if Klaus was toying with her or not. A lump was forming in her throat and, she could feel the tears prickling just under her eyes. It hit her then that no matter what she did, Robbie had already pushed Klaus too far and he was going to die.

"Wait!" Tessa yelled. She saw the look in Klaus's eyes and knew he made his decision, however as she shouted she heard the sounds as Robbie cried out for one last time. Klaus had yanked his heart from his chest without so much as a blink of an eye. Tessa stood there in horror as Robbie's body thudded to the ground loudly. Falling to her knees Tessa moved closer to Robbie's now desiccating body, She heard her sobs wracking her body and her vision was blurred with tears. Klaus had finally gotten what he wanted. He broke her. He brought her up here to break her spirit. To see Robbie wasn't as dead as she had thought only to rip him from her life was cruel to say the least. Her shaking hands moved to his chest she felt almost nauseated.

"You promised before with your mother that, I'd had your loyalty, and at the mere mention of this man you threw it all out the window! I can't get rid of you yet, honestly love, I could almost say that you've started to grow on me, but then there were those feelings arose again." Klaus was rambling on around her, but all Tessa was focused on was Robbie, the man she grew up with. The man she fell for. Her love that she was supposed to spend her life with growing old and having children and keeping them as far from this life as possible. She gulped back a sob as her eyes stared into his lifeless ones, reaching over she closed his eyes, she couldn't look into them anymore. Klaus must've had enough of her as he gripped her arm tightly and yanked her up from the floor slamming her back against the wall by her shoulders.

She stared at the floor where Robbie's lifeless body lay thinking her last connection to her old life was severed. Her family was now hunting her as a vampire, her old life at the university was done along with her family. Her boyfriend now lay dead at her feet. Klaus's anger spiked as his hand gripped her chin and turned her head to look at him, once her eyes were on him.

"I really didn't want to do this to you, darling." He told her. "But, I want you to turn it off. Just shut out the emotions, the anger, the pain, the love. Shut it all off. Shut out everything." Tessa heard his modulated tone and felt something click in her mind. The tears stopped coming, the sadness was gone. She just felt. Nothing. She took in Klaus standing before her and leaned up pressing her mouth to his quickly. Her hands ran down his chest as she pulled his shirt swiftly exposing his torso. Klaus was shocked, to say the least. His arms instinctively went around her eager body as she moved them to switch positions. If this was what she chooses to do, then who was he to deny it. He felt her hand splayed across his abdomen, she practically melted against him and Klaus felt a tug on his lips upwards. She was in the palm of his hands just waiting to be molded. He knew the road ahead of them was a tough one, but he needed her help in tracking down what he needed most. His hands brushed against any part of her that he could, and he pulled at her shirt. Suddenly within a blink of an eye, she was gone and out the open door.

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 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	8. Losing Leverage

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you. I hope you're enjoying the read thus far. Apologies for how long it took to get out, I've been struggling with some other stories I'd like to finish up. Please enjoy!**

 **Chapter 8: Losing Leverage**

Night was slowly falling down around Tessa, she'd been all over the small town of Seager in the last couple days, compelling people to let her into their houses was becoming second nature to her, it was easy when she'd taken to meeting people at bars- drunk people, in particular didn't even need any compelling the men were easy targets for her. Her growing restlessness caused her to move on from there into the Big Indian Wilderness just south of the town she knew so well. It was vast, and thick with brush over mountains lined with hiking trails. It was oerfect for what she wanted. She could recall the hunting trips she took with Harper, and her mother within these woods late at night. Chevonne would always capture vampires, interrogate them for information as to the whereabouts of the rest of them- more particularly the vampire that killed her late husband. The huntress would then release them into the woods tasking her girls with killing them in the dead of night. However, Tessa was hunting the woods for a totally different prey at the moment.

She could hear the crackling of a fire nearby and knew she'd stumbled upon some campers in the early fall season. She'd crashed a campsite with what appeared to be 3 people, seemingly only women. Tessa had waited to time her appearance perfectly, and after some small talk and lies of camping just a few miles up they'd invited her to sit by their fire. Tessa's demeanor had changed the instant they invited her over as she unleashed her predator instincts'. Tessa flipped over one of the chairs as she walked in closer sending the girl soaring into the tent, and zipping her in there that bought Tessa the time to speed over to the other two girls now standing in outrage. She grabbed one by her neck and the other by the arm in a bruising grip. Yanking the brunette she held by the throat in closer, her teeth sunk into flesh and the liquid she craved to her core filled her mouth, draining the woman of her blood. Tessa moved on to the blonde in her other hand. She could hear the zipper of the tent moving and knew she had mere seconds before her endeavor turned south, so she dropped the blonde and swiftly moved to the other woman emerging from her tent. With quick movements, Tessa snapped her neck and left her hanging half- out of the tent. She heard clattering noises of objects behind her, turning she saw the men had come back their fishing gear dropped where they stood as their eyes took in their surroundings. Their shock made them freeze up. A man ran into the scene brandishing a silver knife. A hunter. Tessa thought her eyes narrowing on him. The three men stood there completely forgotten by Tessa as she ran at the man with the knife now.

"Run!" He yelled at the others who were quick to leave the little clearing.

Tessa moved quickly as she snatched him up by the back of the neck on his shirt and slammed him against the nearest tree. Tessa then struck him dead in the neck. Her eyes barely had time to change before she felt the blood on her lips. It was then that she realized something was off as her throat began to burn and she reared back killing the man quickly, with just a small jerk of his neck. She'd run right into a trap. It was the hunters. A sound came from her throat that wasn't something she'd heard before as a group gathered around her. Smack in the center was her mother with a twisted smile upon her lips, she was surprised her mother hadn't intervened before she killed the three women prior, but she was too preoccupied to figure that out at the moment, she knew her survival was on the line now. "Hello, Tessa." She nodded simply, keeping the conversation to the point.

Tessa neglected to answer as her eyes took in the threat. "Where's your boyfriend?" Chevonne asked, again, getting right to the point.

Tessa again didn't utter a sound now. "Protecting your kind already, are you? That didn't take long." Tessa's eyes moved around in the circle of people before her. She could see her mother, Robbie's dad, and sister. Tessa caught sight of the same man that had continuously doused her with vervain water in the week prior. Her vision blurred as her rage rose within. She knew then and there that he was done for. Her mother, Chevonne had been continuously pestering her for Klaus's whereabouts, but in the moment. Tessa didn't particularly care where he was. She watched the man take a step closer and that was all Tessa needed to react. Her speed was fast as she struck him with all she had. Her hand met some resistance, but it was nothing compared to her own bodies resistance when she'd attempted to rip out her own heart. There was a slight gasp before she yanked his necessary organ out of his chest. The sick cracking of his ribs was nothing when compared to the squelching of blood and snapping sound of the man's veins ripping. Tessa stared as she dropped the man's hearts to the ground now leaving her hands to be covered in blood.

Tessa's mother stared at her in what appeared to be disbelief, but it was quickly masked over as she hardened her pale features. She cried out in anger as she tossed a knife in Tessa's direction, but Tessa caught it quickly. She knew that her mother didn't have her hunter's knife on her so this wouldn't do nearly as much damage. That's when the other's closed in. A man Tessa barely recognized made a move to grab her from behind, but Tessa elbowed him quickly before moving the knife her mother threw at her swiftly into his neck and yanking it out causing blood to spirt out everywhere. Tessa backed away quickly as if his blood was laced with more vervain, but by the sweet scent of it she deemed it free of the poison. Her eyes moved on to Robbie's sister, and without hesitation, she snatched her up spinning Jessica around she faced off with the only pair left from the group of six. She knew that Michael wouldn't want Jess becoming her next meal, so at her words to "drop it," He did, dropping his weapon almost immediately. Chevonne, on the other hand, looked on with a more determined expression, her hand holding the gun undoubtedly full of wooden bullets. Tessa sighed as her hand twisted Jess's painfully so that the wrist broke and her knife fell to the ground with a thud. Tessa kicked it behind her further into the woods. She'd had enough of the vervain to last her a lifetime, "Tessa! Let her go. Please." She could see the panic all over Michael's face, and yet she felt nothing. In fact, her grin only widened at his words. The tone of his voice made her feel powerful-even more so than what she already felt as a vampire.

"What's wrong Michael? You don't want your daughter to become like me? I thought I was a good role-model. After all, I always did as I was told. I followed the rules, saved people, remained average my whole life, as per mommy dearests request."

"Pl-please Tessa. No." She saw the fear in his eyes and moved quickly. She raced behind the pair as she struck into Jess's neck drinking down what blood she could get. Tessa heard her mother's gunfire but didn't react. She knew Michael had knocked it from Chevonne's hands instantly. Tessa played on his fatherly instincts. He just lost his son Robbie, several weeks prior to their last hunt so she knew he would be terrified to lose his daughter. Jess's shout garnered the parental attention she was relying on. The two hunter's turned keeping her within their sights. Tessa pulled back now her mouth wide as her fangs shone in the firelight. The red blood dripped over her lower lip and down her chin. She was a terrifying sight, and she was reveling in it. She shoved Jess away and growled out the word, "run." Michael scooped her up and took off clumsily through the wooded area. Before she knew it her mother flung her arms outwards sending Tessa soaring. She smacked her head into a tree behind her as she landed on the dirt ground below. She groaned in pain as she rolled over realizing that a broken branch was sticking out of her abdomen.

She yanked it out and sped over to her mother sticking her with the pointy end of the branch. Tessa backed up slowly as her mother looked down to see the leafy part of the branch protruding from the wound. She cried out as she tried to pull it from her body only resulting in it snapping off. Tessa smirked now.

"What's the matter, mom? Not enough strength? Guess you need to train harder." Tessa chortled as she reached behind her and pulled out her mother's hunting knife from the waist of her jeans.

"There's- there's more hunter's coming, Tessa. You aren't going to get away even if you kill me." Chevonne told her, her voice rough. Tessa shrugged with a 'humph' noise not particularly caring about anyone other than her mother at the moment.

Tessa quickly grabbed her mother's arm that moved towards her. Tessa wound and twisted it back until she heard the pop of her shoulder dislocating. Chevonne cried out painfully.

"You have to be like a stone when fighting a vampire. Show no emotions." Tessa said to her mother quoting a lesson back to her. She could recall her mother breaking her bones even in the training sessions they'd had on for practice.

Chevonne cried out in anger as she moved, swinging her other arm around to grab at Tessa anywhere she could, but Tessa was too fast and she caught her mother's other arm. She shoved her back with her leg kicking her against a tree, hard. She could see her mother's eyes focus in and out upon impact.

"You wonder how I can do this now, but not before when you'd had me tied up for torturing?" Tessa asked her with an eyebrow quirked wearing a grin the whole time. Chevonne stared at her daughter in the dark with an almost bored expression.

"If you're going to kill me, then do it." Her mother's voice was tired and breathless from the fighting. She still had that typical Dara-like sass with her eye roll.

"I feel nothing. I've turned it off. Finally, I can live up to your expectations- too bad what I want now is to simply kill you." Tessa said as she kicked her mother over on her injured side. There was a shout from her now lying on the dirt and twigs on the ground. Tessa chuckled walking away leaving her mother where she laid.

"I finally feel… incredible." Tessa said as she flexed her fingers. "You can't keep me down anymore with your rules, your burdens of saving the innocents, and blah, blah, blah." She continued on kicking her mother's core values into the dirt. "You set us on the insane quest that Harper and, I had never asked for. You were our drill sergeant instead of the mother we needed."

"I did it for you-!" Tessa mom had pushed herself back up against the tree and, she had begun raising her voice only to have Tessa kick her over roughly again.

"Not. While. I'm talking." Tessa replied to her mom sharply.

"Hmm, seems you hunter's really do respond best to displays of violence." Came an accented voice from behind. Tessa groaned immediately placing the voice to Klaus. His sudden appearance left an unexpected pause before Tessa's wits caught up with her.

"Shouldn't you be, I don't know, fucking off or something, Klaus?" Tessa asked angrily as she began cleaning the underside of her nails with her mother's hunter's knife she'd removed it from her waist now, being careful to not pierce her skin.

"I wonder which will get you killed faster, love- your lack of loyalty or your stubbornness?" Klaus replied back without missing a beat as he moved to stand beside Tessa. He looked just as she had left him- aside from shirtless.

His jeans were dark, and his grey undershirt paired nicely with his black button up pea coat. His popped the collar in true old-school vampire fashion. Tessa felt her body react as his eyes seemed to roam up hers. Over the last two days she'd been without him she compelled and stolen her fair share of outfits, and she could see he was appreciating her new sense of style. The light denim she wore were frayed and torn up her thighs, and her newly acquired shirt didn't cover much either. The soft white linen tank top she wore had a crocheted pattern along the open sides until it tied closed just under her arms, the bare space underneath made it rather clear she had skipped out on stealing the bra. She hadn't wanted to bring too much attention to herself given that she was only wanting to compel a few people with her lack of experience, not to mention it was easier to lure men in when they found you attractive.

Her mother's voice broke their gaze's as Tessa was brought back to the present. Her mother leaned against the tree now with her blood loss affecting her, her eyes, however, sent daggers at Klaus, "You. I'll kill you. If it's the last thing I do."

"You couldn't kill me if you tried for the next hundred years," Klaus replied as he took a step to move in, but Tessa was on her mother in an instant. Striking quickly, her fangs sunk into her mother's neck and she began drinking only to feel twice the power compared to how she felt when feeding on humans. It flowed through her like a electric current warming up her body the more she drank. She kept an ear on her mother's heartbeat and upon hearing it slow she pulled back simply staring at her mother with wide eyes of disbelief, "You- you-."

"Tessa. Tessa. Please, baby. Don't. This isn't you." Her mother said cutting her off quickly. Tessa stared down at her mother silently. She felt her face shifting to one of clarity, and understanding.

"M-mom?" She asked her voice soft her eyes taking in the branch embedded within her mom's stomach. Klaus stood on the sidelines watching Tessa put on a spectacular show. To her credit, she was getting better at flexing her vampire muscles all on her own, and she was practically doing Klaus's job for him. She was decimating her own hunter's line.

"Honey? Ar-are you-? Is that you? Oh, my baby…" Tessa heard her other's voice, she could see the fear in her eyes, and she knew her mother was displaying the emotion that she'd kept behind lock and key whilst Tessa was alive.

"Yeah, it's me, mom. At least I'm now monster your lessons turned me into." With those words, Tessa brought the knife to its final end. She could feel her mother's fingers feebly grab at the back of her hand trying to put up one last fight, but Tessa won out in the end and she had sufficiently subdued the monster from her childhood. She pulled the knife back from her chest quickly, then wiped it clean across her knee then placed it back in the sheath and tucking it where it belonged.

She turned to face off with Klaus knowing that he was a force to be reckoned with, and with the power that flowed through her, she almost felt as though she could take him on. Until he uttered the words, "All that blood looks good on you. It really brings out the blue in your eyes." Tessa's hardened exterior cracked and she let out a soft chuckle shaking her head. The tension that she had built up in her head disappeared then.

Klaus took in a breath as he moved in closer to her as he took in the bodies scattered, "Seems I was wrong about you, love." He began Tessa's brows furrowed in confusion as she tensed at his closeness still unsure of what he was going to do since she disobeyed him and had run off. "Seems you are continuing to gain my interest, and that is very dangerous." He told her before pressing his mouth to hers, unexpectedly. Tessa's hands curled into his hair holding him close to her. She felt his hands slipping up the open sides of her shirt and move around to the soft skin of her back. Klaus pulled her against him feeling her body press against his own. His mindset was calculating and careful- now with her emotions off, he knew that it was going to be harder to play her into doing what he needed, but it was doable. She was still pretty much putty in his hands, he became distracted when he felt her tongue slip between his lips quickly joining him in a fight for dominance. He could still taste the blood on her and he was reminded that his last meal was this morning before he left his room at the inn nearby, after compelling a woman he'd met at the bar the previous night to wait in the room quietly until he returned.

He heard Tessa groan as he pulled back slightly. "Love, I have dinner of sorts waiting-." She cut him off quickly as her hands swiftly moved down to the belt buckle against his jeans and broke it. Yanking it through its belt hooks and tossing it away.

"I don't think you grasp just how psychotically hot you are, Klaus." He heard her mutter in that honeyed tone he was slowly growing to appreciate.

"Yes, love. I-I do understand that but-." He was silenced by this woman yet again with her lips pressing against his quickly. She was attacking him fiercely now as she moved him back slamming him against a nearby tree. He knew it would do no good to distract her- with her emotion's shut off he would lose her interests quickly unless he acquiesced to her request. Klaus shrugged unsure as to how much this would complicate things, but he went with it for the sake of his hidden agenda, or at least that was what he told himself. Quickly lifting her off her feet he redoubled his focus as his lips moved against hers flawlessly. Before Tessa realized it she could feel him carrying her out of the woods and out to the same SUV they'd driven to New York in.

"Klaus…?" She questioned softly her voice breathy and hoarse.

Klaus looked at the car from her as she moved down to her feet. He picked his key for the room he'd rented from his pocket and, showed it to her.

"You've been in a hotel this whole time?" Tessa grumbled snatching it from him, thinking of how she needed a shower. Klaus opened his mouth for some witty retort only to be cut off at the sound of his SUV starting. Under normal circumstances, she could see herself being aggravated by his lack of care for her wellbeing after being the reason she was in this predicament, but also under normal circumstances, she would never have killed her mother.

"Better hurry, last ride back to civilization." She called from the driver's seat. Klaus sent her a look but, climbed into the passenger side all the same. Tessa took off at breakneck speeds driving the short distance to Margaretville, where it seemed Klaus had been staying. Tessa glanced in his direction to see him staring at her abnormally focused.

"What?" She asked him annoyed. At his silence, she continued, "What're you staring at? I know I still have blood on me, but-." She was silenced quickly when Klaus had leaned over moving in closer to her. She stilled feeling his tongue move around her neck. She could feel him lapping off the blood that was there from when she'd been fighting her mother, but she stayed silent just reveling in the feelings he evoked within her.

"Klaus- Klaus. Stop. I'm driving." She told him trying to shrug her shoulder up to shield her neck from him. She felt his lips quirk at the ends and he continued with his ministrations at her neck, "This tastes incredible." She heard him mutter. She knew then that even if he was getting remnants of still wet blood over her skin he could taste the difference, she was sure she was high off of the type of blood that coursed through her families veins. Klaus almost redoubled his efforts to get at her skin, but she shoved him back harshly against the other side of the car. "I haven't tasted anything like this since…" He said seemingly dazed and searching for words.

"My sister?" Tessa supplied for him. At his lingering stare, Tessa shrugged her shoulders. "I think it's in my genetics." She replied. She watched Klaus lean over and take his key off the seat before settling back into the passenger side. Klaus paused staring at her for her lack of caring, but he knew her emotions were cut off while her humanity was 'flipped off' as it were. His thoughts lingered on how the blood from her and her family could have tasted so different from your run of the mill human, but he didn't approach the subject just yet. Within mere minutes of driving with the radio blaring some incessant 'top 40' song, the pair reached the hotel.

It was more of an Inn, Tessa thought as she jumped out of the driver's seat tossing Klaus his car keys, "One moment, love." His words halted her as he moved to stand before her. He slid his pea coat off and moved to hang it over her shoulders hiding most of the blood away from prying eyes. Tessa was too busy appreciating the tight grey long-sleeve he was wearing to see what he was doing. She felt his thumb slowly brush over her collarbone as he wore a crooked smirk down at her. She watched him lick the blood off his thumb quickly before turning to walk up the stairs on to a porch and moving into the massive old blue house turned into an inn. Tessa saw the sign posted next to the entrance stating the house had been built in the late 1880s. Tessa quickly followed Klaus in as he turned up the large stairs that led up to the individual rooms, she watched him walk down the hall her focus lingering on certain parts of his anatomy before he turned into the third door down. Walking in behind him she snorted in amusement.

"This was all they'd had for the moment." He told her crisply.

"You couldn't compel us something better?"

"Well, seeing as how you'd ran off I didn't exactly think that you'd be leaving New York with me, I'd assumed your hunter family would have gotten their hands to you." She shrugged in response as she took in the lavender room before them. A blonde woman sat perched on the bed, it was a king sized bed that was massive and took up the whole of the room they stood in. By the entrance into the room, there was an overstuffed red, stiff back chair next to a radiator. She saw a TV perched upon a dresser and a mirror hung off to the side between the dresser and the radiator. Tessa's main concern was the heartbeat she could hear pounding in her brain. Her vampire instincts kicked in as she walked over to the woman slowly, the smell of fear was in the air- it was a sharp and pungent scent that reminded Tessa of metal. She wasn't enjoying the scent, but the look of fear in the pretty woman's sky blue eyes sent Tessa in a spiral of emotions. She made a move to step closer to the woman, but Klaus's strong hold on her forearm prevented her from moving another step.

"I don't share food, darling. Besides you've had the last two days to feed as you willed it, you should have no trouble finding another entrée." Tessa's eyes narrowed in his direction as he walked off closer to the woman. She knew that was his way of 'punishing' her- so to speak, for running off on him.

Hearing him begin to feed Tessa huffed crossing her arms, she could see an adjoining bathroom on the other side to the left of the bed and sighed with relief. A grin spread across her lips as she thought that two could play at this game of control so she slid Klaus's pea coat off of her shoulders, it hit the floor with a soft thud, and she began untying her tank top as she walked towards door across the room. The promise of a shower had excited her more than she'd have thought it would. The linen shirt fluttered to the ground as she walked towards the bathroom across the way. Her arm crossed over her chest as she chanced a glance over in Klaus's direction only to frown when she found him no longer by the woman now lying dead across the mattress.

She shrugged and began to move in towards the bathroom only to find him standing before her with an unnerving grin down to her, "Do not. Start something with me that you do not intend on finishing, darling." Tessa dropped her arm at his challenge and stared up at him, just daring for his eyes to roam. Klaus knew she was going to prove to be difficult with her humanity off, but less difficult given half of the process was done tonight by Tessa herself.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" She told him before trying to shove him. Klaus moved swiftly- his fingers gripping her upper arms hard as he pinned her between his body and the wall next to the bathroom doorway.

"You know exactly what-." He began in hurried tones only to cut himself off. She just responded with a smirk seeing that this had affected him the way she wanted it too. "I get what I want, Tessa." He told her. His eyes hardened, and his mouth set in a line, pulling his determined expression together.

"And, what is that exactly, Klaus?" She asked him her own baby blue eyes never straying from his electric shock of blue ones that sent her mind into a frenzy of dirty thoughts.

He stared at her his expression now changing to one of surprise at her consistent disobedience, and now with him killing Robbie just days ago, and the majority of her family dead at her own hands he knew he didn't have enough leverage to control her the way he'd been since the day he turned her. He could feel his grasp of control slipping, so he sought another means of control. Leaning in quickly he pressed his mouth to hers. He felt her gasp of surprise, but Tessa went with it feeling restless energy leftover from the fighting she'd done earlier. His lips worked expertly against hers, and she felt his hands move down from her arms to her hips where he roughly pulled her against his own crushing whatever open space was left between their bodies. Tessa's arms wrapped around his neck as she pushed off from the wall and dragged him into the bath where she'd finally be able to get the grime and dirt off her skin and purge her mind of dirty thoughts she was having about the irritatingly attractive man she seemed to be stuck with for the time being.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	9. Homecoming

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you. I hope you're enjoying the read thus far. Big, big, big apologies for how long it is, seriously. I was intending on posting it in a two part chapter. I just wasn't seeing a good area to end it, and then post the part 2. Anyways, please enjoy!**

 **Chapter 9: Homecoming**

Much to Tessa's disappointment, Klaus hadn't given her the release she was looking for, she'd gotten so far as removing his shirt and jeans, but when she made a move to take off his undergarments he stopped her. His hands had roamed down south on her body distracting her from what she'd initially wanted and he left her wanting far more than he mere teaser he'd offered. Over the course of weeks following the pairs steamy shower, Klaus was a consistent tease to Tessa, he continually made references to their last night in New York as he rode with her in a private jet across country towards Portland, Oregon where it was rumored to him that the largest werewolf clan was held. He was hell-bent on creating as many hybrids as he could for his army of sire-lings. Tessa had been steadily growing frustrated with the short leash Klaus had her on, before leaving New York he'd compelled Tessa's free will from her, so here she was at Klaus's side for his beckon call. Things had become complicated in Oregon when Stefan-who'd been compelled into another one of Klaus's lackeys had called with some life-changing news, at least at Klaus's suddenly joyous mood she assumed it was life-changing news.

"This is incredibly boring." She told him as they lounged on the plane. They'd just taken off from the nearby airport where they'd landed not four days previous. She was growing bored with the constant traveling, she wanted to remain somewhere for longer than a week at a time. So far her perk of being with Klaus was the endless supply of blood, though she was missing the thrill of hunting for it like she had in New York though.

"Well, love. There's a bedroom in the far back of the jet, feel free to disappear in there for the duration of the flight. Just be a dear and keep the noise down whilst your going about your business." She sent him a scathing look from across the way. Klaus was using sex as a way of controlling her, and she was growing weary of his mind games. Looking down at her glass which was filled with the blood recently compelled from the stewardess- courtesy of Klaus; she moved leisurely as she picked up the cup and drank down its remnants in an attempt to sate her growing hunger, but it wasn't blood that she hungered for.

"If you keep throwing my sexual frustration in my face, I may just have to outsource to satisfy my needs." She replied to him putting down the rocks glass that was normally used for alcoholic beverages- but, in her case, she craved a more potent drink.

"By all means, love. If your wish is to take on a laundry list of lovers, be my guest. I shall like to warn you though. I've taken quite the interest in you, and I do not share well with other's, so forgive me if I make an attempt to maim or otherwise to the poor man you decide seduce into bed with you before the act is done."

Tessa groaned knowing there'd be no sense to try and satisfy herself whilst under the compulsion by Klaus. "You are no fun." She told him pouting now. Walking over to the bar onboard she poured herself a shot of bourbon. She threw it back quickly and moved back over to Klaus who was seated in the beige, leather aircraft seat. Her hands fell on his shoulders as she moved towards his neck, trailing her mouth down to his collar. "I haven't been able to hunt or do any other sort of physical activity since New York. Forgive me if boredom is now gnawing at me, Klaus."

He 'hmmed' back at her not looking up from the magazine he was reading. Tessa's already irritated state was growing so she moved quickly yanking the magazine from his grip and allowed it to flutter to the rug-covered floor, she was kneeling in his lap suddenly her arms around his neck, and her mouth on his.

Klaus tolerated her kissing him, but the minute he felt her hands beginning to roam he stood suddenly resulting in Tessa being knocked to the floor, "Sorry, darling." He began a smirk spreading across his kissable lips. He outstretched his arm offering her a hand, but Tessa moved at vampire speed to the back of the plane. Klaus heard the slam of the bedroom door signaling that she had fled there- he wondered if it was the embarrassment she felt that caused her to seek solace alone, or if she was actually taking his earlier suggestion to heart. He chuckled to himself anyways as he bent to retrieve the magazine and sat back down. The pair remained separated until they landed in Virginia.

Tessa loathed having to be in Klaus's presence now. His constant teasing and innuendos were more frustrating than his personality, and that was saying something. Once they got off the plane, Klaus moved quickly. He met up with that werewolf-turned-hybrid from the only other night Tessa had been in Mystic Falls, she came to find his name to be Tyler. Klaus told Tyler to go to the school and sabotage the original plan for the high school's homecoming dance, and he was to throw it at his house instead, once Klaus had compelled his mother away for the night everything seemed to fall into place. Tessa wasn't privy to much more information than that much to her dismay.

"I'd say royal blue is your color, love. You do look absolutely delectable in it." Of course, he was referring to her dress she'd been killed in, after Stefan drained her of her blood, completely.

Tessa sighed at his reminder of her weakest moments, she had been kept in the Lockwood mansion with Klaus since they had landed, and she'd already gone through 3 people that day out of her unsated hunger. Turning she was greeted with Klaus in a suit if she was having a had time keeping her frustrations at bay before, she was a goner now. She swallowed audibly at his appearance in the doorway to the living room. He held a rather large rectangular box in his arms as he waltzed through the open double doors, "So, I saw this back in town and, picked it up for you, can't have my plus one looking like a stray hunter I picked up along my trails through the country… oh wait, that's exactly what I did."

He was grinning down at her as he slid the box in front of her on the coffee table. She paused in her witty retort as she took in the extravagant wrapping paper, it was a sleek black color with a white ribbon tied along the cover. Her fingers trailed over the packaging then tore open the box to find the most exquisite looking dress. It was fit for royalty, pulling it from the box she held it up. She deemed it to be a fit for her, as much as she disliked it, Klaus seemed able to read her well enough.

She began undressing right there to not just Klaus's surprise, but Tyler rounded the corner only to be stopped in the doorway by the sight before him. Tessa slid her cardigan off, and slipped the tank-top over her head, she made quick work of the skinny jeans and shimmied them down her legs before snatching the dress off of the couch; she stepped into it carefully. Her arms slipped into the sleeve that just barely capped over her shoulders. Sliding her arms around to the open back the dress offered, she unhooked her bra and slid it down her arms tossing it among the pile of clothes she no longer wore.

Looking from one man to the other she asked, "A little help with the zipper?" Tyler made a move forwards quickly, but Klaus used his vampire speed to stand behind her. She knew his eyes were roaming over the soft-looking pale skin of her exposed back given his hesitation to actually grab the zipper located just above her backside. He slid the zipper slowly up to close it over her lower back after moving her long straight hair over her shoulder. The A-line style of the dress accentuated her slim waist, the sharp V-neck cut made her smaller-sized bust more pronounced. Looking down at her legs she found the dress long enough to cover them completely. The Royal blue color of it paired nicely with her pale skin, it was covered in an outer layer of sparkling tulle a deep shade of navy that had black embroidery of flowers, and vines over the torso and up along the v-cut neckline. The black velvet embroidered designs curved around to her back, she could feel the leaves sewed in along the seams of the open back. Turning around she was pleasantly surprised to see Klaus's eyes drinking her in intensely.

"Seems, you made a good choice, your fashion senses are impeccable. It's no wonder you continue to rebuff my advances, Klaus. Are you afraid to admit something to yourself?" She grinned up at him now this morning on the plane still fresh in her mind. Klaus rolled his eyes as he turned away from her, the moment they shared was long over from her sarcastic remark questioning his sexuality.

"My dear, you've no idea what I could admit to you over the centuries I've been alive." With that, he stood in the doorway with Tyler behind him. "Can I help you with something Tyler, or shall you be offering up yourself to my wrath by sating Tessa's needs tonight?"

"Uhm," He began as his eyes moved to Klaus, "Everything is set up. The band, and stage, the drinks. Just waiting for the people." He trailed off unsure of how to respond to Klaus's threats. Klaus nodded his eyes moving back to Tessa.

Ignoring Klaus's remark all together Tessa's eyes moved to the other figure before her, "Tell me Tyler, does your mother have any make up she can spare? I wouldn't want Klaus's date to look like a simpleton in comparison to the rest of the women that will be arriving soon."

"Oh, I don't think you'll have to worry about that, Tess," Tyler said with a smirk as his eyes trailed over her sparkling attire. At Klaus's sidelong glare Tyler cleared his throat before replying that his mother's room was up to the stairs down the hall to the right.

"Thank you," Tessa replied crisply as she moved purposely between the boys brushing her body by Klaus's intentionally before she moved up the stairs.

Tessa entered the room and moved towards the table. She looked over the makeup with a distant feeling this whole town was new to her, yet she was unable to go exploring due to Klaus's compulsion. She made quick work of applying make up before snooping through the jewelry containers that littered the tops of the vanity. She found a necklace set with lapis lazuli and, was quick to snatch it up from the drawer it was in, quickly hooking it around her neck she stared at her barely recognizable reflection. Over the course of the last few weeks, she wasn't herself, she was still a beauty, but she'd been without the ability to put on makeup, she hadn't been dressed in the clothes she'd normally have picked for herself. The lined eyes and light eyeshadow made her baby blues more pronounced, the light blush she'd applied to her cheeks brought a renewed look of life to her otherwise pale face. It was different than the usual, but with her emotions turned off she looked at herself with an emotional detachment from it all. That girl is dead to me. Tessa thought briefly before turning away from the mirror and painful self-reflection she was teetering on.

She could hear people filing in from the entrance, and knew the dance was starting soon. Moving quickly towards the stairs she was greeted with the newly turned hybrids Klaus had left in Portland with specific instructions to meet him here tonight. The brood of previous werewolves seemed to look over the place with almost the same emotional detachment that Tessa had when faced with her own reflection. Within about ten minutes, Tyler's mansion was packed with people, some of which she could remember from the Senior prank night, but most were complete strangers to her- not only her but even to people that lived in town, Klaus and Tyler must've compelled several people into joining him this evening. Tessa wondered just what kind of news he was unveiling that garnered the kind of attention from random people.

"Tessa…?" A voice broke her from her thoughts, upon turning She looked down the rest of the stairway to see Stefan standing there his hands tucked into his pockets, dressed up just as Klaus in a well put together suit. She knew her frustrations were really eating at her when she gave him a lingering once over, "I almost didn't recognize you." He told her his eyes taking the dress she wore slowly.

"I could say the same, Stefan. I'm not used to you when you're not covered in blood." As he spoke she moved around him and began to walk out of the back door where the massive crowd had gathered, a stage was set up farther down the sloping back lawn. A pond was at the far right of the yard, and nothing was heard over the rock band up on stage.

Stefan chuckled to himself at her greeting, clearly, she still held some disdain for him, but it was less so compared to when she couldn't even stand to be in his presence. He wondered what had changed about her. He followed along beside her quietly staring at her once they stopped after exiting the house, Tessa broke their long silence.

"Can I help you, Stefan? I know this dress is amazing, but I don't think it comes in your size, in case you were wondering." Stefan chuckled again at her wit, and Tessa continued to frown at him. She wasn't trying to impress him, she was trying to get him to go away. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't working.

"I'm just curious as to what it is that's changed about you, I mean aside from the clothes and the smell." He told her a smug expression on his face. She remembered the last time she saw him she was covered in blood from attacking people, and the previous time before that she was trapped in the cellar under that old apartment.

Tessa grit her teeth in annoyance, but before she could respond Tyler came up carrying a case of unopened beer, "Hey Stefan, Tessa, what's up?" He asked in a friendly manner. Right, Tessa thought to herself. They're all friends here.

"Hey Tyler, nice party you got going on here," Stefan said in the same modulated tone.

"Thanks, but uh-, I'm not the one throwing it. " Tyler began, "I'm just doing what Klaus wants." He finished with a nod to Tessa.

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked, looking confused. Even Tessa looked at him funny, with the amount of flare, and effort put into it she was surprised he even thought a mere lone high school student could pull this off.

"It's not a party man. It's a wake." Tyler answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

That's when everyone's attention shifted as the band stopped playing, and Klaus took the stage, "Thank you, everyone! I want to thank you all for being here with me to celebrate." He spoke into the microphone, and Tessa could see his eyes searching the crowd, they stopped when he spotted Tessa, Stefan, and Tyler. She watched the crooked smirk stretch over those lips she could vividly remember kissing just that morning on the plane before he spoke again. "It's been a long time coming." There was a slight pause before he blinked and his eyes circulated the crowd, "So please, ladies and, gentleman; enjoy yourselves, tonight will be a night to die for." With that Klaus walked off stage as the band picked up again, and within a blink of an eye, Klaus stood before them. Tyler had walked off amidst the end of Klaus's speech bringing more refreshments to the long table against the house layered with food, snacks, and more alcohol. Tessa's eyes found Klaus's, and she saw his bright blues boring into hers. She blinked breaking the unspoken spell he'd had her under before muttering about needing a drink, leaving Klaus and, Stefan to discuss whatever business it was that brought Klaus back here, unfortunately, due to the compulsion when Klaus shook his head she didn't budge from his side, Klaus chuckled to himself before saying, "Allow me, love, what kind of date would I be if I wasn't the one to get the refreshments." He told her with a grin. Tessa hesitated before taking the arm Klaus offered. "Quite the homecoming," Stefan said striking up the conversation as the three moved towards the tables at the far side of the house.

"I've been planning my father's death for over a thousand years, granted in no version of it were any of these people invited, but you get the idea." Tessa was surprised to find that her and, Klaus did have much more in common than she'd thought. Her mother was just killed at her own hands, and Klaus seemed to have the want for his own parents. He glanced down at her with a smirk on his face as if knowing what it was she was thinking.

"So what now?" Stefan asked as he moved to stand in front of Klaus and, Tessa causing them to stop walking, "You stop running?"

"Now," Klaus began as he pulled his arm away from Tessa, "I reunite my family."

"Your family?" Stefan asked his eyes not leaving Klaus's for a second, "You mean the people you cart around in caskets." He trailed off slowly. Tessa kept silent feeling the tension mounting between the two.

"None of that matters now." Klaus responded, "Mikael's gone. Bygones will be bygones." A couple of girl's walked past, one wore a rather impressive crown on her head, as they were talking about how great the party was. Tessa looked up at Klaus to see him eyeing the girl's, she couldn't tell if it was his hunger or if he had his own issues with all of his pent-up frustrations.

"Seems the homecoming queen still walks among the living. Which leaves me to believe Rebekah isn't here. Where is she?" Klaus's now hardened gaze remained on Stefan.

"I have no idea." He answered coolly. "I thought she was coming with Matt." He shrugged nonchalantly. Tessa felt the daggers that Klaus was glaring down at Stefan and knew she wanted to get away from the drama.

"Oh, be honest now, Stefan. Where's my sister." Tessa stiffened at Klaus's tone, the underlying threat was all too familiar to her. He seemed to handle her differently from Stefan, less physical harm, and more mental or emotional, she felt his body moving as his arm untangled from hers as he stood to his full height. Tessa felt the tension mounting between the pair.

"I said," Stefan began slowly taking a step forwards facing Klaus's challenge head-on, "I have no idea." There was a slight pause before Stefan said, "Now, would you like me to take you to your father?"

That was enough to distract Klaus from his sister, she felt his arms wrap around her waist possessively as he spoke his next words with a lighter tone, "Well now, it wouldn't be a party without the guest of honor now, would it?" Stefan seemed to eye Klaus up and, down waiting for him to continue, "Bring him to me."

Stefan was not very good at hiding his dislike of Klaus's request, of course, Tessa wouldn't much like carting a body across town on her back either. "Alright." He agreed easily, his expression clear of disgruntlement. "Perhaps there's something in it for me? My freedom from your compulsion." His words sparked something in Tessa, she wanted out from under Klaus's thumb as well, she was just biding her time. Waiting for a piece of leverage she could use to get it. Klaus's games with her were usually mental, she'd have to play them just as well- if not better than him to win her freedom.

"Oh, you want your freedom? Well, once he's dead and his weapon destroyed, you'll have your freedom." Tessa opened her mouth to cut in only to be cut off by Klaus, "It'll be my pleasure to give it back to you." Stefan grimaced before making his slow exit back towards the back entrance to the house. Klaus sighed looking down at Tessa, "Well, love how 'bout that refreshment." He led her past the table and, into the house he led her deeper into the house. He'd snagged a girl along the way standing at the beer pong table that had been set up. Tessa figured he'd already compelled the girl given the lack of fight she put up upon being dragged up the stairs with them into what appeared to be a guest room within the Lockwood Mansion. Tessa took in the room before her.

The blank beige walls and empty dresser tops led her to believe this was a guest room. The burgundy colored twin size bed was also a giveaway. She looked over the immaculate white carpet and knew no one had stayed in this room for quite some time.

Klaus closed the door behind him as he released the quiet girl from her hold. She stood still, eerily so to Tessa, "Did you-?"

"Compel her? Yes, love. Did you not say you needed a refreshment." Tessa sent him a confused glare unsure of why he was being so nice to her when over the last week he's done nothing but, intentionally tease her or cause her discomfort.

"I'm in a rather generous mood tonight, darling. Do not over think this." He shrugged as he locked the guestroom door shut.

"So your father is dead?" Tessa asked him bluntly now glancing out of the window from the second floor over the party. Klaus sighed and before she knew it his voice was right in her ear.

"Yes," He began. She felt his breathing against her skin and, it spurred unspeakable thoughts of Klaus on in her mind. "Mikael was a father of sorts- not biologically of course, but we didn't find that out until late in life. He's been hunting me for over a thousand years. Needless to say, I am glad to finally be rid of him." Klaus finished turning towards the girl behind him, he grabbed at the woman's forearm and bit into it audibly.

"It's a relief, isn't it?" Tessa asked him still not turning to face him. "When you've been running, and following what they say for so long, not having to do something you've done for so long out of obligation is… nice." Tessa continued. At the last bit of words, she turned to face off with Klaus, her face emotionless. He released the woman who was now swaying back an forth now. "I don't know about you, but killing my mother was freeing. I didn't have to worry about being hunted down just for existing. I didn't have to follow orders anymore…" Tessa's voice trailed off as her eyes stared at nothing in particular. Klaus simply stared at her, he couldn't help but understand what she was saying, perhaps that's why he felt the closeness he had back in New York on the night he'd watched her decimate her fellow hunters, and because she'd done something he only wished he'd done ages ago, and he admired her for it.

A silence passed between them before Tessa spoke again, "I understand, I suppose. Granted it didn't take me a thousand years to kill my mother, but I suppose it's easier to face what hunts you when you can shut your fear off."

"I am not afraid." Klaus told her his words taking on a harsh tone at the mere suggestion of him being frightened, "You are sorely mistaken, my dear, nothing frightens me."

Tessa remained silent sensing he wasn't done talking, "I've lived a long time, love, I've seen all the monsters this world has to offer, and I've defeated them. I am the thing that those monsters fear." Tessa's eyes moved over his body as she took in his rigid stance and, clenched jaw. She was finally getting under his skin after the last several days of him doing it to her. She was headed in the right direction of gaining her freedom.

"I don't believe you." She replied to him quickly. Klaus reacted as he pushed her up against the wall behind her. She felt the cold window on her open back.

"I. Fear. Nothing." He told her through clenched teeth.

"You fear emotions." Klaus scoffed at her words.

"You're wrong. I feel no emotions out of strength, not fear. Emotions just get in the way, as you well know."

Tessa closed her mouth at that and shrugged. "Maybe so." Her eyes moved from him to the staggering girl behind him, "I'm hungry." She said simply as she brushed past him and gripped the girl tightly. Her fingers closed around the back of her bare neck. The darkened skin looked soft and, inviting for Tessa's quickly elongating fangs, her black hair was piled up high on her head. Tessa struck at normal human pace enjoying the fear in the woman's eyes as her life was hanging in the balance. Tessa turned the woman around so she could flick her blackened eyes up towards Klaus, she watched him as she drank in the blood. Klaus stood in his spot, he'd never been looked at like that before- even with her emotions off and her air of carelessness, she stirred something in him a feeling that he hadn't felt in a long time. Doubt. He was feeling unsure of himself in the moment- which was very un-Klaus like.

If he didn't need her for his meeting tomorrow, he'd have sent her away right then, but unfortunately, without her, his goal to build an army of well-trained hybrids was useless. He enjoyed her presence at times, but it was situations like this that he left him with regret for establishing a sort of closeness to Tessa on that fateful night back in New York. It gave her multitudinous opportunities to grasp his motives for his actions, and he didn't want to be understood. He tried hard to keep her at bay, but that night at the Inn kept playing in his mind. The way his hands roamed over her body had stirred something within him that he never thought he'd feel at the time, thinking back on it now though, he realized how wrong he was. He could still hear the way she uttered his name, and how his chest constricted at the mere memory of it.

He thought his teasing and tormenting would have affected her long before now, but he underestimated her resolve. He underestimated how good she was at reading people. This girl was not just seeing him, but also starting understanding him in ways no one had in a long time and he was terrified of it. With that last thought, Klaus could feel his irritation rise with Tessa, he moved towards her slowly a smirk spreading across his lips. Tessa hesitated as she slowly withdrew her fangs from the girl's neck dropping her to the floor with a thud.

Klaus's fingers reached out over her face, softly tracing the line of her cheeks, down to Tessa's chin he tilted her head up to look at him. There was something about power, and pleasure, Klaus knew defenses had been trained into this woman at a young age, she was taught to withstand pain, and detach from things, but she wasn't taught to fight what felt good to her. It was easy to seduce her body because she'd never had this kind of attention on her, other than that imbecile Robbie she'd dated. Tessa has been blatantly ignored most her life. She was used as a weapon- which was all Klaus had really wanted, but she had no need for knowing such things yet. He was awaiting the arrival of a key component before that was revealed.

Tessa's eyes fluttered closed at his feathery touches. Klaus trailed his fingertips down over her shoulder and arm to rest on her hips, his left-hand held hers as he trailed circles over the back of her hand with his thumb. Klaus leaned in until their faces millimeters apart. "Do you recall how you felt when I touched you, love?" It was easy to evoke lust in her when her normally conflicting emotions were shut off. Good and evil were nonexistent, only concrete things such as him and her were real in her mind.

Tessa remained still knowing this was another one of his teases. She was growing tired of these games but didn't care enough to stop him. A part of her knew that if she- like Stefan- was to earn her freedom she'd have to play along with whatever Klaus had in mind, "How good was it to feel my hands running over your body? To feel worshipped? To feel special?" His mouth was dangerously close to her own.

Tessa couldn't help her own body's reactions, as controlled and calculating as she was mentally her body had other intentions. Klaus's smirk widened into a grin when he heard her heart rate pick up as his right hand made the slow, almost subtle movement up her torso halting when it reached the top of her ribcage. "You were desperate with need for me that night, Tessa." He said his husky voice eliciting memories from her head. His arm slid around to her open-backed dress feeling the soft skin there, he pulled her against his body quickly, his mouth by her ear now. "Just think back and remember how I could make you feel with just the touch of my hands on your skin," He began his mouth at her ear as he leaned in, "Then recall how I turned and, walked away much like this." With that Klaus released her suddenly and, he left the room the echoing of the door closing behind him snapped Tessa from her hazed state as she cursed him aloud to the now empty room. After some time had passed, the eerie silence from downstairs began to eat at Tessa, so much so that she- after leaving the now dead girl in the bed with some conveniently placed empty beer bottles on the nightstand table- had gone downstairs. She found Klaus standing at the front door exchanging some particularly nasty words with an older man who was holding Elena hostage. What is it with this girl? Tessa thought briefly. She stood on the stairs watching, waiting for one of the men to strike first.

"Nobody cares about you anymore, boy!" The older man yelled. Tessa couldn't be certain but, by the way, the man was talking to Klaus she presumed it was his father. "Tell me, who do have other than those whose loyalty you've forced? No one." The older man leaned forwards slightly and repeated, "No one."

"I'm calling your bluff, father." Tessa was surprised to hear raw emotion in Klaus's voice. From where she stood she could see his eyes glaze over slightly. Fear. She knew it was fear. She could recall a time when she felt the same kind of frozen in place terror on the occasion she stood up to her mother. Tessa was pulled from her past memories by Klaus's voice. "Kill her."

The man in the door was rigid and tall. His blond hair and blue eyes were the only similarities to Klaus. "Come outside and, face me you little coward, and I won't have to."

Klaus responded without missing a beat, "My whole life you've underestimated me. If you kill her you lose your leverage. So go ahead. Go on. Kill her." The men were at a standoff by the door. Tessa was unsure if she should intervene. "C'mon old man. Kill her. Kill her!" Klaus shouted the last part staring at his father. Tessa could see the tears on his face and was surprised to see emotions so clear on the usually cold, unfeeling man she'd grown accustomed too.

The man was confident, he merely chuckled at Klaus's rage, "Ah, your impulse, Niklaus. It and will forever be the one thing that keeps you from truly being great." With those words spoken Tessa heard him stab Elena from behind. Sufficiently killing her, Tessa felt disconnected from the death of the girl, she'd only met her briefly, that night in the gym. Of course, that was back when Tessa's goal was still to save people, now she could care less who died.

A figure raced in from the back, Tessa heard Klaus scream in pain and simply reacted. Her compulsion kicked in and, she leaped over the railing. Knocking the person on his back she heard the sound of leather. Looking down she gasped recalling his face immediately. She was younger, a child the last time she'd seen him. Damon Salvatore. He was the reason she'd even been questioning her 'fight the good fight' routine her mother had been trying to drill into her since birth. There was no way he'd recognize her. It had been years, she thought her eyes moving over his facial features, not much had changed on him. No a single speck of skin, or fleck of blue in his eyes. He moved to fight against her, he made a valid attempt to throw her away from him, but she was stronger than he had anticipated.

"What're you? A hybrid bodyguard?" He questioned his voice strained as he sat up trying to toss her away. The steak was left unattended after clattering to the floor of the hallway.

"Nope. Vampire- ex-vampire hunter." She shrugged as she easily twisted his arm in a painful hold. Unbeknownst to her Damon had a second hidden stake. He slipped it out from the inside of his black leather jacket and made a move to swing it at her, only to have a second figure shoot in and tackle him to his back. Stefan was holding him down with little effort. Tessa made a move for the white oak stake only to have Klaus snatch it up as he moved at Original vampire speed successfully staking his father. The scream of the dying vampire was deafening. Tessa looked out the open doorway to see the hybrids on the ground holding their heads in their hands, some of them were sitting up and groaning.

"You need a better army," Tessa muttered coming up behind Klaus as he stared over the ashes that were once his father.

Klaus scoffed, "It's funny for you to be the one to say that… cause I've made a few phone calls and your family is going to be the one to train them."

Tessa remained silent her brows furrowing in confusion. What did that mean? She killed her mother and, her sister was long dead who else could Klaus possibly be referring to? She thought as she watched him walk back into the Mansion.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	10. The New Deal

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you.**

 **Alright, well there is a lot of information about Tessa's family within this chapter. Hopefully you guys like it! This chapter moves the story along nicely, and gives you quite the twist on things. It doesn't include much of the major characters, not quite yet anyways, if you hang in there with me I'm working it up to that. I know that in the next chapter they will! Tessa will be getting a taste of Mystic falls, and having the ability to explore it on her own. Anyways, please enjoy!**

 **Chapter 10: The New Deal**

Tessa had been pestering Klaus non-stop since the dance as to what it was that he meant, but he told her the same answer every time. "You shall have to wait, love. You will be present at the meeting." He wore a confident grin every time he answered her. It had been days since the Homecoming dance, and even though Klaus killed the one man he feared most, he returned the next morning fuming about Stefan.

She and Klaus had been staying in the house he was currently renovating. Tessa had just opened the door to her bedroom to find Klaus standing on the other side of it. "Late night then?" He asked wearing that permanent smirk on his face. Tessa rolled her eyes knowing he had one of his hybrids watching her, at least until he got the meeting with whoever from her family over with. Darkness was falling down around them, Tessa had slept through almost the whole day after being out hunting, and drinking well into the early morning hours.

"As if you don't know." She told him in a clipping tone, pushing him and making her way down the long hall towards the open living room and kitchen. She stopped at the counter to grab a mug from the cupboard, setting it down on the island.

"I'm well aware you know your being followed when you're not within my sight. The hybrids have told me how much of a fight you put up. More accurately, they complain about their broken necks." Klaus told her as he stood across the kitchen island. "In fact, I just had a chat with Tony at the pub about it this afternoon. He awoke early this morning still in the bushes you dumped him in." Tessa smirked as she turned away from him to grab a blood bag out of the fridge. "You know, I'm thinking I could forgo this whole meeting and, just leave you to train my hybrids, given the way you toss them around already it shan't be too hard for you."

Tessa looked up at him from sipping the blood she had poured into her mug. "Nope." She told him exiting the kitchen area quickly.

"I've compelled you to do as I say, Tessa. Or have you forgotten that?" He asked turning to follow her with his eyes. Tessa paused looking up at him from the step up he was on that separated the kitchen from the massive living room. She placed her mug down on the nearest decorative table and moved towards Klaus slowly. He stepped down meeting her just before the lip of the floor.

"Something to say, love?" He challenged. Tessa stared into his eyes, she knew deep under all those psychopathic, murderous layers of his was the core of his emotions.

"I do recall being compelled to do as you ask, and if you will it, your majesty, I shall help train your army of beastly hybrids, but I know that I did not have all the proper training I should have during my years as a vampire hunter."

Klaus chuckled at her calling him 'your majesty', but he listened quietly to the rest of her sentence, his grin never wavering. "Aw, no don't sell yourself, short sweetheart. You were chosen to take me down as a human so your skill set must've been rather impressive."

Tessa smirked now thinking that he did not know her mother. "My mother set me on that quest, simply because she was still hell-bent on avenging my father's death, and my sister Harper was by far too weak. I was simply the only one in the family left. Hence, why I called on Robbie for help. Hey, you know you could ask him to help train-." She paused before turning to grab her mug, "Oh. Oh no, wait you can't; because you killed him. That's right." She finished sarcastically before drinking some blood from the cup.

"What? Do you want an apology?" Klaus asked begrudgingly, his arms crossing over his chest.

Tessa shook her head with a grin, "No, not at all. I'm just making a point, Klaus. You ought to think about who you kill before you kill them. They could come in handy later on." She playing on one of her favorite past times when stuck in the house, which was irritating Klaus until he told her to leave him. Unfortunately for her, today wasn't one of those days.

"… Like you?" He asked suddenly standing behind her. Tessa was holding the mug with a small amount of blood in it with both hands. She felt Klaus's hands at her waist and knew he was feeling threatened by her somehow- it was the only times he paid her this kind of attention.

Tessa turned to face him quickly. "No. Klaus." She removed his hands from her body now. "I'm done with your mind games."

"Who said anything about games, love?" He asked her shortly before his mouth locked onto hers in one swift motion. Tessa was surprised, to say the least until the front door opened and an 'ahem' broke them apart. Tessa pulled away quickly her head snapping in the direction of the front hall through the open doorway.

"Ah, Charles. So good to finally meet with you. Come in. Please." Klaus said as a large figure emerged from the door. However, the figure stared right at Tessa. Tessa stared at the man unsure of how to react to his presence. She felt indifferent about everything now, it was her father. "I've heard a lot," Klaus said to him.

Tessa watched as her father moved from the front door to the doorway of the living room. His chestnut brown eyes never leaving his daughter. He was still the same strong silent man she could vaguely remember. Her dad always kept to himself, always rough, strong when out hunting. Yet in the home that he'd built with his family, he was an ordinary guy, sensitive towards his wife, and daughters.

"I'm here now, Klaus. You've got what you want. Release my daughter."

Tessa sniggered at his choice of words, "Daughter? Yeah, sorry, Dad. I must've missed all the fatherly bonding while you were recovering from death."

Her father, Charles didn't say a word in defense for himself. His eyes remained on Klaus like a lion stalking its prey. "Now. Klaus."

"Tut, tut, Charles. I shall release her after I get what I want from you. Even then, sir, you have to do as I ask otherwise, I'll just kill her and, be done with it all."

"I mean technically that was already done." Tessa interrupted looking to Klaus. Charles glare never wavered as he didn't budge an inch from the doorway. His thick arms crossed over his chest in defiance. He stood rigid and unmoving which struck Tessa as odd, it was one of the differences she could use on a hunt to guess who was human and, vampire. Vampires were unmoving, and stiff in comparison to a human. They could remain still for hours with their muscles never tiring, or experiencing a dull ache in their sore muscles.

"You-you're a vampire." She said her eyes moving over his tall frame.

Klaus sighed heavily, "Agh, alright. Now that you're here…" Klaus began as his hand was placed over Tessa's small shoulder. Tessa glanced at her father from Klaus, "Right here, love. Look at me, please." Tessa wasn't sure what Klaus had up his sleeve anymore but did as was told and met his gaze head-on.

"You're free will is being restored to you, Tessa. You are still bound to Mystic Falls, but you are no longer bound to me physically." Tessa blinked as she felt a weight lifting off of her she hadn't been aware she was holding. She felt more like herself again, her eyes moved over to the doorway now filled with the looming figure of her father.

"You're supposed to be dead." She said to him her shock blatant over her facial features. If her eyebrows went any higher they'd be in her hairline. Her father just stared at her blankly not saying a word.

"This is why I don't like emotions, they're so messy," Klaus said from behind her. She heard the sarcasm dripping with every word.

"I think your confusing feelings with murder," Tessa replied to him icily. Klaus shrugged next to her as he slid the coffee mug from her hands and walked into the kitchen placing it in the sink.

"Charles, I'll be awaiting you in the sitting room, to discuss business," Klaus said as he walked away pushing one of the glass double doors open.

"Tessa-." Her father began, but Tessa didn't want to talk right now.

"I don't care. Whatever made you fake your own death, or-or otherwise. I don't want to discuss it right now. Let's just focus on whatever it is Klaus wants so that I can be rid of him." With that Tessa walked into the room Klaus was seated in.

However, a blush crept up her neck and over her cheeks when she saw him grinning at her. She remembered the way his hands felt on her the other night at Tyler's half-thrown together Homecoming, she remembered the night at the Inn when she and Klaus had showered together, or more accurately, she showered, while he practically tortured her.

"Oh now, no need to get all modest on me, sweetheart. Not after all we've been through." Klaus's eyes followed Tessa as she walked around the table and poured herself a generous amount of bourbon. Her father was standing in the doorway while she muttered, "I'm not drunk enough for this."

Tessa threw back the bourbon before reaching back to grab the bottle and bring it to the table with her. Charles remained silent as he moved to sit as far as he could from Klaus-which wasn't much given that it was a medium-sized roundtable. Tessa took a seat between the pair as she took another shot.

"What do you want?" Charles asked finally after a moment of them sizing the other up.

"Your help, of course, why else would I spend weeks having people try to make contact with you. Every hybrid I sent seemed to mysteriously disappear."

"Klaus, you may not know this, but I've been hiding for the last 15 years. If I don't want to be found, I won't be."

"Oh, I am well-aware of you and your whereabouts. My Hybrids always managed to find you, didn't they? You can't be as good as the legends say if-."

"I was found when I allowed it." Charles cut in. Tessa's eyes scanned over her dad, she knew she should be feeling more emotions at this reunion, but they were dimmed down- which was an improvement in comparison to feeling nothing, but it was still weird for her, with that in mind she drank more.

He was paler than she could remember, but his short, spiked red-orange hair was the same, along with the stubble of a beard growing on his chin, it ran up around his mouth into a neatly trimmed mustache. "I was found when on the hunt for your hybrids. Notice how you'd lose contact with them right after they'd tell you my whereabouts?" Charles leaned forwards, threateningly.

Klaus sat up from relaxing in his chair as he leaned in, ever so slightly rising to the challenge Charles was throwing down. "Notice how you've walked into my home, Charles? Notice how I have your only daughter, here, under my thumb? I have the control here. Do not try to turn it around, because you can't."

Charles stared at Klaus long and, hard. His hard gaze made Tessa look away, back down to the bottle she held in her hands as she took another long swig. "Only?" Charles asked his eyebrows turning down at the center of his forehead.

"Yes, you see the other one was unfortunate enough to not make the cut. It was actually by mere coincidence that I'd ran into them with a couple of friends," Klaus began to explain the day they met. "Your daughter had ingested vampire blood in the recent days on a hunt. So when my associate at the time killed her, she awakened in transition. Like father, like daughter; or something to that effect."

"Har-Harpers' dead? You're a vampire now?" Tessa watched as her dad's eyes flicked over her direction. "But-but your mom-? Chevonne. She's-I mean- She's still-." His question trailed off unfinished.

"Dead," Tessa said emotionless. Her eyes looked away from her dad now turning back to the table. She could feel guilt trying to reach up and drag her down to wallow in it, but she gripped the bottle of bourbon tighter as she threw it back with a vigor.

"Easy there love," Klaus told her. She hadn't realized he was watching her closely when the mention of her mother came up.

"Chevonne, she- she's dead. How-?" Charles began as he looked down only to glare in Klaus's direction. He stood up, his eyes displaying the hatred he felt, "You bast-."

"Bastard?" Klaus supplied. He chuckled, "Yes, I do get that quite a lot." He glanced over at Tessa to see a frightened look in her eyes before continuing on, "I, however, did not bring you here to discuss your late wife's death. I lured you here because I want you to help train my hybrids."

"Give me one good reason to help you?" Charles growled out. His hand twitched towards the dark jeans he was wearing.

"Careful, Charles. You wouldn't want to lose the only family you have left, do you?" In a second. Klaus stood beside Tessa. In his hand, he held a stake. Tessa was pressed against the stiff, straight back of the chair she looked down at the stake with interest as she noted the design carved into the edge of it by the flat end.

Klaus had no idea what it was he was holding, but Tessa did. It was her stake, Tessa sat stock still knowing she could end Klaus with a simple movement, but probably not before he would stab her with it.

Charles smirked as his eyes fell on the weapon, "Let me clue in on something, Klaus. You must know the small fact that our line of hunters originated in Ireland."

"Red hair. Blue eyes. Yeah, I've managed to put that little fact together myself. I've also torn through your families village centuries ago. None of those lot were witches though. So far just your little family, or at least they were before their demise."

"You must know that the family name Dara… derives from the word Darach. Tell me, are you familiar with its meaning." Her dad continued on not allowing Klaus to get under his skin.

Klaus blinked staring at Charles with a new sense of seriousness. "It means, oak." He seethed through clenched jaws.

"Are you aware that Vikings had invaded Ireland, and settled there the eighth century? In fact, that's the 'war' your father was involved in was it not?" Charles questioned with a gleam in his eye. Tessa could see Klaus becoming increasingly agitated, and she was fearful of his temper considering he held a stake to her chest.

"Now, among the chaos of the raids, and murders to the good people of Ireland one of the Vikings fell in love with a girl living in the very monasteries' they raided, after taking her home to his village in what was then known as Scandinavia. He fled with her to the new world, on the very same ship your parents had used to flee from whatever plague was popular in the 10th century." Charles was grinning ear to ear as his tale continued.

"Now, I'll give you a minute to put the pieces together, but I'm thinking you already know that I do in fact have all the control I need over you and, your little 'immortal' family." Charles moved slowly around the table inching closer and closer to Klaus and Tessa.

"White oak," Klaus said softly. Tessa saw the fear in his eyes as they glazed over. Klaus's concentration snapped back into place as Charles got closer, "Don't." Klaus's voice rang out cold as ice now. He was being threatened and Tessa knew her father was playing a dangerous game. "You make one more move, and I'll kill her, here and, now. I swear it." Tessa flinched as Klaus's hand twitched closer. She felt fear easing its way into her, and knew more emotions were soon to follow.

Charles paused mid-step, "Alright. Okay. Klaus." He agreed his hands held up defensively.

"How in the bloody hell is it that you've come by white oak? We decimated every last inch of it." Klaus asked. She could see the gears in his head working.

"Not before my family planted its acorns." Charles explained, "We were hunter's in Ireland, Klaus. Once my family within the village learned of your mother's spell we began planting the acorns for protection. My family had a whole operation in a greenhouse hidden away well. It took a long time, but with the help of several arborists, I have finally had a successfully growing white oak tree; to continue making our family stakes. " With that said Charles nodded to the weapon in Klaus's hand. Tessa realized then that the real reason her family hadn't gone after the Originals all those centuries back; when they were propositioned by the witches the first time was because of the white oak. It hadn't grown and matured into usable stakes. It was a literal suicide mission to attack the originals without that weapon.

Klaus took in a breath still not moving the stake that he now held in a tighter grip, "I want the white oak, Charles. Today. All of it. Even the saplings, and acorns your irritatingly crafty family still has."

Charles smirked now "Now, what do I get out of that? You just expect me to hand over my entire bargaining chip to you?"

Klaus sighed now. He was clearly stressed by the fact that Tessa's father had a means of murdering him and his family. "We don't have to be enemies, Klaus." Her dad began at Klaus's silence. "Keep the stake in your hand as a peace offering."

"Am I to believe that you'll not stab me in the back with another the minute I turn around?!" Klaus shouted quickly. His hand trembled slightly with fear.

"You still have my daughter's life in your hands, Klaus." Charles pointed out.

Klaus paused with a glance down to Tessa, it was as if he forgot she was there. His mind was solely focused on the thought that an entire white oak tree was out there with his families name on it. "Right," Klaus said as he slowly pulled further away from Tessa's chest. Her body relaxed instantaneously, her arms fell to her sides as she took in a steadying breath.

"I'll-I'll train your hybrids, Klaus. In return, I want my daughter back." Klaus looked at him with a smirk.

"Nope sorry, the new deal is that you will train my hybrids, and give me the tree you've managed to have grown successfully. You may keep whatever little stakes you've made thus far, but I want to make sure none can be made in the future, am I clear, Mr. Dara?"

Charles glanced down to Tessa, and she gave him the slightest of nods. Charles sighed not wanting to give his and his families legacy away so easily, but he knew he had all the stakes made that he needed, along with plenty of opportunities coming to use them in the future."

"Deal," Charles said. "I also want her humanity restored, Klaus." Her father's deep voice was fierce. Tessa's eyes widened at his suggestion. Her father must've sensed something was off about her when he'd first seen her.

"She has her free will back, Charles. I can assure you that when she wants to flip it back on again, she can. If I force her to do it, the consequences could be far worse than you can imagine." Klaus's dismissive tone told Tessa he had had enough of being cornered for the day. "I have some business to attend to regarding the renovation. If there is nothing else to be discussed, I'll leave you two to chat." With that Klaus left the room quickly. Tessa watched him leave when an awkward tension filled the room.

"How-how're you feeling?" Charles asked her, his deep voice penetrating the silence. Tessa glanced in his direction.

"Not good, not bad. Just… simply existing." She replied before taking a big swallow of the bourbon.

"Are-are you sober?" He asked her suddenly as he moved to sit next to her.

"I'm moderately functional." She replied nearly finishing off the bottle. Charles chuckled softly as he reached over to take the bottle from her.

"I'll take that as a no." He said simply before he took a long drink from the bottle finishing it off. "Tessa…" He said suddenly catching her attention. He usually deep voice took on a softening edge to it causing her to look at him.

"Tessa, baby. I-I'm so sorry. I wasn't there for you. Any of you." She could hear her father's voice breaking. "I was turned, and- and I did not transition as smoothly as it seems you have. I went through a dark period for almost 5 years. The-the people I killed-. Some were friends." She listened to her father's tearful confession and felt her guilt rising. She thought of all the faces of the people she's killed. The young lives she ended early, the hunter's, her mother.

Tessa's gasping sob caught her father's attention, he turned looking at her, "Tessa, I'm-I'm so sorry." She felt his heavy arm move around her shoulders as he hugged her.

She shook her head slightly, "No. No. It isn't that-. I-I-I killed her." Her words weren't coming out right.

Her father didn't understand what she was saying. He hugged her tighter to him now that her sobs were wracking her body. "I killed mom." She'd said it so quickly that she hadn't thought he heard her, but the stiffness in him told her otherwise. "My-my humanity was turned off, I-she found me in the woods in Seager." Tears were streaming down Tessa's face as her dad pulled back to look at her. "I was hunting, and she-she-. Dad. Mom was out to kill me, and instead of just running like I should've. I kill-killed her."

Charles sat there feeling a sadness overcome him as he looked at his youngest daughter. Tears clung to her light eyelashes, "I'm so sorry dad. I-I don't know what to do. I don't-I don't." Her sobs were cutting into her words, and she couldn't talk anymore. Leaning on her father for support Tessa cried well into the night.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	11. Our Town

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you.**

 **Okay all! I was originally going to have her hook up with Damon, but he's got that thing going with Elena during Season 3, and per Elena's character I don't think it would have gone over well- there were scenes when she was jealous over him and, Rebekah so I took Tessa out of that love triangle. Stefan is hell-bent on Klaus's demise, and Matt well... I honestly don't have an excuse for him. With Alaric's background in hunting I felt he was a better choice. Anyways, please enjoy!**

 **Chapter 11: Our Town**

Tessa exited the bedroom she'd been staying in since her father had left the house, two days ago. Klaus had heard her crying almost the whole time, but he'd never have known she even shed a tear, her eyes were now as clear of tears as ever, and they looked bright when paired with her oversized cornflower blue knitted cardigan. His eyes trailed over her black skinny jeans up to her grey crop top showing off her pale, and toned midriff. She stood still with her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the door. She watched Klaus standing before an open casket, undoubtedly one of his siblings lying there with a dagger in their heart,

"So this was the business you were attending to for the 'renovation'?" Tessa spoke first her eyes watching over Klaus carefully. She wasn't sure how he would react to her presence after they found out her family, and father had been working over the centuries to create weapons for him, and his family's destruction.

She took in his loose hooded grey shirt. Trailing her eyes downwards she took in the baggy jeans held up with a belt and a rather ostentatious look buckle- similar to the one she'd broken back in New York. Klaus sighed, muttering something as he closed the casket gently, "No, love. I just got my sister back from the Gilbert girl last night. I don't expect you to know that what with your wallowing and all." Tessa shut her mouth at his statement an air of awkwardness about the room now.

She huffed uncrossing her arms now feeling more secure of his mood. "Yes, well not all of us can have the conscience of a serial killer, Klaus." He smirked at her witty retort. He moved closer to her, his blue eyes staring at her own intensely. "I am sorry for your loss, love." He said softly.

Her eyebrows twitched down in confusion at his display of emotion. They were coming more, and more frequent towards her. She realized then that he was trusting her, and that scared her more than being in his possession-so to speak.

"Yeah, well. At the time it wasn't really that big of a loss. I didn't think I'd had anyone in my family left." She told him her tone distant as she took a step away from him. "But, you knew my father was alive, and well. Didn't you?" Her voice changed taking on an accusing tone.

That's when one of Klaus's hybrids appeared at the door. Mindy. Tessa recognized her from the party, generally, Klaus's hybrids stayed close by in dorm-like apartments compelled for them by Klaus, of course. "Show her to her room, would you, love?" Klaus asked changing the subject as he glanced at the darker girl. Her sharply cut layered bob seemed to have outgrown its style in the back, her light eyes glanced to Tessa flashing a yellow color in them.

"Ah, ah, Mindy." Klaus's sharp tone caused the girl's eyes to soften as they moved back towards him. "Please." At his last word, he gestured to the coffin.

"Sure." She purred with a nod. She moved slowly towards the head of the coffin and pushed it gently not bothering to wait for Tessa to get out of the way. Klaus smirked to himself as he grabbed his red glass filled with what appeared to be alcohol of some form. "Would you like some, love?" Klaus asked as he brought his cup up to finish it off. Tessa didn't respond as she suddenly felt a presence nearby, instantly going on the alert.

"I'm surprised you're still in town. I gave you your freedom; you could have gone anywhere." Klaus said loudly. A smirk graced his face as his eyes turned to the room through the open doorway to Tessa's right. She perked up and moved to stand beside Klaus looking in to see Stefan there.

He was up against the bare doorway, clad in his leather jacket, and dark apparel- he radiated a cool, confident demeanor. Tessa swallowed knowing that if she'd stolen from Klaus entering his home would be at the bottom of her to-do list.

"I live here, Klaus," Stefan replied with a smirk as his eyes moved to take in Tessa.

"Well, if we're playing this game, then-uh. I was here first." Klaus grinned moving into the other room where Stefan stood. Klaus snatched up the bottle of alcohol that held a distinctly sweet smell to it- it had been mixed with blood- Tessa quickly placed the metallic scent in it.

"You know," Stefan began ignoring Klaus's last comment entirely as he pushed away from the doorway, uncrossing his arms. "I don't like your hybrid friends." Klaus continued to pour more into his cup before holding it out to Tessa. Merely sating her curiosity for what it was she moved into the other room, stopping just past the doorway and, took it tilting the bottle back sipping it. Mead. Made from honey. Klaus must've been feeling nostalgic after daggering his younger sister. "They're everywhere; kind of like fleas." Stefan continued as he moved in closer still. Tessa stared at him not wanting to be to close to him. She'd thought she'd hated him since the day she was turned, but once her emotions were returned it was as if, she understood them more. She was frightened of him and continued to be so even now after her journey through the transition, and nearly two months of being a vampire now. That fear still coiled in the pit of her stomach. "I want them gone." Stefan finished as his eyes never strayed from Klaus.

"Yeah, well. I kind of like having them around." Klaus said as he finished his second cup that Tessa's seen thus far. He held his hand out for the bottle of mead, and Tessa handed it over wordlessly. Her movements were stiff, and she tried to refrain from moving any closer to Stefan. "You know, I'm hurt." Klaus began as he took some steps closing in the space between Stefan and himself. "I'd hoped that you know, I'd free you, and we'd pick up where we left off but, here you are guzzling vervain; like the rest of them, I'm sure." Klaus paused putting the bottle down on the make-shift table line with blueprints for the renovation. "So much for friendship."

"Friends don't strip friends of their free will." Stefan pointed out with a glance to Tessa. She crossed her arms over herself trying to look smaller as his eyes moved over her body.

"Okay, granted, yeah. That was a little extreme." Klaus admitted as he nodded acknowledging Stefan's point. "But, I get a little moody. Just ask my siblings… Speaking of whom, isn't it time you handed them over?" Klaus moved in closer to Stefan trying to exert his dominance, to get what he wanted.

"Klaus," Stefan began as he closed the gap between them, "Get your hybrids out of Mystic Falls or, I will remove them myself." He threatened with a smile.

"Hmm." Klaus began turning away from Stefan slightly as his hand clenched around the cup he held tighter "You see if you continue to threaten me, I'm going to be forced to retaliate. You know? Kill people, and it'll get messy, again. Isn't that right, Tessa?"

Tessa jumped at the mention of her name. Her gaze remained on Stefan since she came to realize his presence. What did Klaus mean though? Would he compel her to shut off her humanity again? Would he use her to kill? She was terrified of the control he'd had over her before, she wouldn't want it happening again.

Stefan wasn't backing down, and Tessa didn't expect him to. He had the coffins safely tucked away, he had the leverage. Stefan entered Klaus's house knowing Klaus couldn't kill him because then he'd never get the rest of his siblings back. It was a smart plan from a hunter's standpoint. Her mother would have approved.

Stefan shrugged now, "Do whatever you want. I don't really care-." He cut himself off suddenly changing gears. "Or, you know what? Maybe I do. Yeah, maybe I care so much that I'll drop Elijah in the middle of the Arctic."

"Well," Klaus began in a clipping tone, "Maybe I'd be willing to lose one brother if it meant killing yours." He threatened. His piercing gaze never strayed from Stefan once. Klaus didn't even flinch.

"Try me. Let's find out." Stefan said with a grin. Tessa knew Stefan was really gone if he didn't even blink at Klaus's threat. Klaus grinned back at the bravado Stefan was showing. Tessa knew better than to get involved in this war. She had reason's to fear Stefan, and Klaus both; she didn't feel the need to redirect their anger at her.

As if on cue, Mindy entered the room from the entrance Stefan had used, "Is everything okay?" She asked eyeing Stefan up and down.

"Everything's fine, Mindy. Stefan was just leaving after failing to make his point." Klaus told her. Stefan chuckled, and before anyone could react blood splattered on the floor as Mindy's head thudded to the newly placed wood across the floor. Tessa stood her mouth gaping as she stared at Stefan. He held the bloody saw in his right hand as he turned to face Klaus.

"Well… one down." He said cheerfully. "You may want to-uh, send the rest of them away; before it gets messy… again." He finished as he tossed the saw back on the table. Klaus stood there watching Stefan closely as he left.

"I'm not cleaning that up," Tessa muttered softly as she turned away and, walked back towards the finished part of the house.

She'd been wandering around the town of Mystic Falls, she was stuck here so she might as well get to know the layout of it. She'd stumbled upon a bar called the Mystic Grille, after a while. With the autumn sun setting early she figured she'd check in there for a drink, or two. I suppose thinking of more original names was to complex when it had been founded, Tessa thought as she entered it. Taking up a seat at the bar she was quick to see the blond bartender- she recognized him from the night at the high school almost a month ago.

"Hey, aren't you-?" He asked. Tessa cut him off with a nod.

"Yep." She said shortly.

"If you're here, that means-."

"Klaus is back. Unfortunately, yeah." She told him. "And, given that I've been forced to spend the last two months with the said homicidal maniac, I'm gonna ask you to do me a favor. I'm gonna need a double shot of the strongest whiskey you've got." The blond kid chuckled as his blue eyes sparkled. Leaning down he grabbed a bottle of southern comfort and placed it before her with a glass.

"If that's the case then, I should just leave you the bottle." He grinned down at her. Tessa chuckled with a nod.

"Well, thank you." She told him her eyes taking in his features. The blue colored tee brought out his blue eyes even more than the spark in them had.

"I'm Matt, by the way. If you need any more, just give me a holler." He told her. Tessa smiled pouring her self a drink now knowing that she had swiped some cash back at the mansion from Klaus's wallet. She had her emotions back and didn't want to start things off on the wrong foot. She was determined to walk that fine line of balance. She had no intentions of murdering anybody, but she was also going to be looking out for herself from here on out. It's what her father had told her to do- he somehow found a balance after meeting a vampire that took him under their wing.

"You're in my seat." A voice said from behind her. Tessa looked over her shoulder to see Damon, she was hoping to run into him while walking the town, but she hadn't. Until now. His taste reminded Tessa of Stefan a bit with the leather and all.

"Oh?" Tessa asked turning the barstool around as she tipped the glass of whiskey back. "Is that so?" Damon rolled his eyes at her but took up residence on the seat next to hers. Damon stared for a moment recognizing her.

"Ah, whiskey, huh?" He asked as he took in the whole bottle. "Southern Comfort? Are you lookin' for trouble tonight, or what?" He asked with an eyebrow quirked. Tessa laughed.

"Trouble seems to have followed me since I left Chicago."

"Chicago?" He asked surprise in his voice. Tessa nodded as she refilled her glass quickly. "He and Stefan must've picked you up. You from there?" He added as she threw back her drink, only to refill it.

"Eh, sorta. I was born on the east coast, moved out there at a young age. I went back there to go to college; moms orders." She told him shortly.

"So what's an ex-vampire hunter doing with Klaus?" He asked coming straight to the point as he watched her glance at him from sucking down her alcohol.

"Well, I wasn't anything but, food for your brother originally. He killed me, and I had vampire blood in my system from a previous hunt. So voila, You now have vampire Tessa. Ex-vampire hunter." She told him.

"Tessa, huh?"

"Yep. Contessa Dara." She told him her last name looking for an inkling of recognition. He paused in his movement to our himself a bourbon.

"Vampire hunter, Tessa Dara. Any relation to Chevonne and Charles?" She smirked now knowing he remembered her from that night too.

"I'm their daughter." She told him. Of course, if he remembered her parents, then he remembered her too.

"Wow, 15 years has certainly changed you." He said as his eyes moved up her slowly, taking in what he could. Tessa picked up her drink and tossed it back again finishing her third drink quickly.

"You really are looking for trouble, aren't you."

"I found you, didn't I?" She asked him a sexy smirk on her pink lips as she put the glass back on the bar. Damon remembered when he'd been in Chicago after the fiasco he left back in Mystic Falls- with his uncle-nephew Zack and Gail. He'd never fully recovered from attacking her, he'd been caught by the hunter on one of his rampages through the city. Damon had been tied up and, left for dead in the shed behind the Dara's family home. It was one of the few times he'd come close to giving up, and just letting death come for him. Her parent's- more accurately her father had been brutal with the torture. Until Tessa- who had been 6 at the time was compelled to release him from his binds. He had thought about eating her that very night given he'd been starved for days, but he hadn't had the heart for it after killing Gail.

Instead, he found another way to get back at the hunter that tortured him- he turned him.

Tessa sighed as she made to grab the bottle of Southern Comfort again, but someone beat her to it. Turning around she was surprised to see an older man standing there with an athletic build. He was a handsome man with brown hair, in a short haircut that was gelled to the side on the top of his head, "Oh, apologies." He told her as he was quick to set the bottle back down. "I thought it was his, we're headed to a town meeting, I thought it best if he didn't show up drunk."

"Oh, not a problem." Tessa smiled up at him. "I probably should cool it myself. I'm on my fourth." She told him with a laugh, as she gestured to her empty glass.

"Oh, you've got a long way to go before the drink start to affect you, sweetheart," Damon said with a grin. "You're relatively new to the whole vampire thing though, so it may affect you to down the whole bottle, but me? I'd have to drink through their entire supply of alcohol in the back." Tessa froze glancing up at the man before her.

"Oh, he knows about vampires. You know what? He's a hunter too, you guys might get along well. Tessa meet, Alaric." Tessa glanced from Damon to the man before her, still unsure of him.

"You're a hunter?" The guys asked his eyes moving over Tessa, "You look so-."

"Young? Yeah, I was kind of raised in it." She told him before quickly filling up her glass again in contrast to what she was saying about slowing down. The thought of her mother made her want to drink more.

"How- how long have you been a vamp-."

"Going on two months." She replied shortly before downing the contents of her glass. "Courtesy of Klaus." She added after slamming her glass on the table.

"Wait, Klaus turned you?" Alaric asked glancing at Damon with alarm.

"No. Stefan did. Technically." She corrected before Damon could say anything. Damon just watched the girl before him as she filled up her glass again. The bottle was close to being half gone now, so he reached for it.

"Stefan did?!" Alaric asked his voice growing louder with shock.

"Yeah, it's something I just found out too," Damon said in a monotoned voice; as he looked on at Tessa downing yet, another shot, her blue eyes turned to look at Damon as she held her hand out expectantly for the bottle. "What did Klaus do to you to make you come here and drink the night away?" Damon asked pulling it away.

"Ugh, it's a long, long, long story," Tessa said reaching to grab the bottle, but her previous drinks were beginning to hit her all at once now.

"Whoa," Alaric said as he reacted like Damon. Damon had been faster and his arms slid around her waist, steadying her as she landed on her feet from slipping off of the barstool. "Maybe you should cool it, huh?" Alaric asked her.

"You aren't the ones that have to go back to Klaus tonight." She pointed out.

"Fair point," Damon said.

"Then don't go back to him," Alaric said suddenly. Tessa turned to look at him with interest now. "C'mon, let's take her back to my loft. I can crash at Elena's."

"Elena? Isn't she dead?" Tessa asked bluntly. As Damon moved to half carry her from the bar. She pushed him though. "Wait!" She called out loudly.

"What?" Damon snapped at her as he didn't like being pushed much.

She walked over to the counter on unsteady legs as she slapped down a hundred dollar bill, "Matt! Hey Matt! Keep the change, seriously." Tessa turned to walk back to Damon and Alaric as she put her arm around both of them to whisper, "Drinks were on Klaus's tab, anyways." With that Damon and Alaric brought her out to his car and dropped her off at Alaric's loft before headed out to the Founder's Council meeting.

Tessa roamed the hunter's loft not looking for anything but just looking to get to know him. She had only really been around Klaus since her arrival to Mystic Falls, it was nice to see someone else's life for a change. He didn't seem any different from any other hunter she's crossed paths with while hunting. He didn't have any personal items up in his loft, no knickknacks, or anything to make the place seem like it was settled into. She was still feeling the high of her buzz when she stumbled on more alcohol in the kitchen of the loft- conveniently it was out on the counter as if it had been drunk recently. She picked it up and drank some more, her feelings were still resurfacing. The worst of it was over when she had broken down over the death of her mother, but she still felt the guilt eating at her.

Stumbling on a stereo she switched on, she used music as a way to escape her life- whether she was hunting, or simply training, she always had music to lose her thoughts to. She hated silence- it gave her too much time to think about things. "Give Me Everything" by Pitbull came on the radio, and Tessa began to dance about the loft feeling the high from her buzz. She grinned as she danced about the place, this was the first time in weeks she was able to get her mind off of her serious problems, she wouldn't get drunk around Klaus in fear of what could happen, she walked on eggshells around him and she hated it.

She heard the door opening but cared little about who it was. Her dancing continued as the song picked up its tempo. The bottle of alcohol still in her hand; she tipped it back losing herself to the music. Glancing in the direction of the door to see Alaric there with a grin, "I see you found my stash." He nodded at the bottle.

"Well, yeah, it wasn't hidden really well." She replied as she continued dancing. He moved in and, closed the door behind him. She realized then that there was no one with him. She slowed her dancing at a stop moving towards him.

"So, I-uhm, appreciate you letting me stay here, but I-I don't want you facing the wrath of Klaus. Trust me. He is not someone you want to make an enemy of."

"You can't be seriously thinking of going back there. I want to help you." Alaric told her as he moved closing the gap between them. Tessa knew she was drunk, but she felt almost comfortable to be around a fellow hunter, the air of familiarity was all she'd had left of her old life, "You're just giving him the control he wants." He finished.

Tessa stopped with a smile up at him. Alaric was taken aback at how dazzling it was, "Thank you, for caring. Seriously, it's rare. You don't even know me, but you-."As Tessa spoke she put her hand on his chest to start to push him away.

"It's called being a decent person." He told her grabbing her hand in his. "Don't thank me for it, Tessa." Maybe it was the alcohol she'd consumed, or maybe it was the nostalgia she was feeling creep up on her. It also hadn't helped that for the last month she'd endured Klaus's teasing, he knew how to touch her to get her body to respond only to tear himself away from her. All she knew was when Alaric said her name in that soft tone, she lost it. Leaning up she pressed her mouth to his. She could feel the surprise in him, his body stiffened as he moved to back up, but Tessa's arms encircled his neck holding him against her.

"Please." She all but, whimpered against his mouth. "I-I need this." She could feel him hesitating to pull away now, and knew she had seconds to seal the deal. Her hands gripped his button-up shirt as they moved at vampire speed unbuttoning each one quickly. Before he knew it he was shirtless. Tessa pulled back as she slid her blue cardigan from her body and yanked the crop top up over her head. Her red-orange hair cascaded around her face as she stared at Alaric.

"Tessa, I-This-this is wrong."

"No, it's not." She told him as she pressed herself against his warm body now. "I really, really need this, Alaric. You said you want to help? This is how you can." With that, she pressed her mouth to his and kicked off her black boots. He could feel her hunching down as he kissed her. His hands slid to her shoulders, feeling how soft her skin was he almost reconsidered, but he pulled away against the command of his body, he hadn't been intimate with a girl in so long. It had been months since Jenna's death, and he didn't know this girl, so it wouldn't have any sort of strings attached. It was almost perfect, but he couldn't get the possibility of age out of his head.

"Tessa," He began softly. That's when he opened his eyes to find Tessa in her undergarments. Alaric saw the sheer white bra, lace covered the cups- it screamed innocence, while thick black straps went over her shoulders, and the tiny, black leather bow in between the valley of her breasts showed a flicker of rebellion in her. The lace under it looked almost crocheted together, Alaric's eyes traveled down before he could think better of it and he regretted it immediately. She had a matching thong another little bow just above her center screamed for him to rip the remaining garments from her body. He wanted to throw her over his shoulder and, take her to bed right then, but his brain worked quicker.

"Tessa." He tried again his voice hoarse. "I'm 33." He finished quickly knowing his voice would betray him if he kept talking.

"And, I'm dead. Alaric. Who cares?" She asked before super-speeding to him and pressing her mouth to his. She moved her hands to his which were left hanging at his sides as she maneuvered them over her body. She slid one to her taut waist, while she shifted his other up over her breasts. He wondered briefly when she'd removed her bra. It didn't matter at that point, Alaric knew that he was a goner the minute he touched her.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	12. The Ties That Bind

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you.**

 **Okay all! Apologies for the long wait, but to be fair strep throat is not fun. I've been sleeping a lot; it's a side effect of the pain medicine they prescribed due to how swollen my tonsils were. Anyways, I'd like a favor, before I post the next chapter I'm hoping to have a beta or someone look it over, the story has another twist in it that could be kind of throws a curve ball into the storyline, but it adds a new twist to it. I'm just unsure of how some people will react to it so if I could get someone to read it over before I finish it up that would be fantastic. Just leave a review if your interested in looking it over, and I'll private message you from there.**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after the woman in the previous cover photo who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark, and her father, Charles is inspired by the actor Michael Fassbender. Just incase anyone was curious.** **Thanks all, hope you enjoy chapter 12!**

 **Chapter 12: The Ties that Bind**

Tessa moaned softly as she felt an arm wrap around her. She instinctively moved in closer to the solid form beside her. She was entangled in beige colored sheets, a comforter was kicked towards the foot of the bed she was in. Gathering her thoughts she quickly recalled the night's events clearly, even though she'd drank a significant amount of alcohol. Turning her body slightly she came to face the man she'd just met last night. Alaric. She didn't even know his last name, and yet she'd slept with him, she thought briefly of taking off, but it wasn't like her to have a one night stand. As her mind was weighing the pros and cons she felt him stirring next to her. His blue eyes fluttered open and awkwardly caught her staring, "Whoa. Uhm. Good morning." He told her his raspy voice was like sex to her ears. Leaning in quickly Tessa kissed him, she knew whatever had taken place last night probably wouldn't happen again, and so she used her time she had here to her advantage.

Pulling back she smirked down at him, "Thanks for last night." She stretched leisurely, the sheet had become wrapped around her left leg leaving her thigh exposed. "It was fun." She finished as she looked back at him from sitting up with a smile. Alaric's head was still trying to catch up with last nights events, he was a bit sleep deprived given he had been tossing and, turning throughout the night. Tessa chuckled softly as he ran a hand through his hair, she moved out of the bed unabashed by her nakedness. She leaned down to pick up her bra and was searching for her matching thong now. Alaric cleared his throat as he stood now wearing his boxers from the previous night, "Are- are you going to go back to-?" He seemed dazed, out of it almost.

"Me?" A new voice came from the table across the room. Klaus sat wearing a smirk as he eyed Tessa, he tilted his head staring at her nude form closely. Her eyebrows furrowed as she moved to cover what little of herself that she could.

Luckily, Alaric was gentlemanly enough to slide the button up he wore the night before over her shoulders from behind, "I had hoped you'd have returned to me last night so I wouldn't have had to nearly endanger a hybrids life having to send them to find you."

"Endanger-?" Tessa began as her arms slid into the sleeves that were too long for her, her hands moved at vampire speed as she buttoned it.

"New rules, courtesy of Stefan," Klaus said as he stood up looking a bit put out at Tessa's sudden attire. "My Hybrids have to remain out of Mystic Falls."

"Good. No more creepy-hybrid stalkers on me." Tessa said with a smirk. Klaus glared at her clear enthusiasm and before she could blink Tessa found herself pressed against the nearest wall. Klaus's hand at her throat pinning her there.

"Hey!" Alaric began only to be silenced with a look.

"Don't look so chipper, love. That just means you're not allowed out of my sights again." Tessa cursed inwardly. As Klaus stared at her, "You'll be coming with me…" Klaus told her his tone not leaving her with the ability to question it.

"No-." Tessa began outraged, but she was silenced by Klaus.

"The deal I have with your father only stands so long as I can return you to him. I can't do that when you're off gallivanting with the local riffraff." Alaric glared from behind him, but Tessa knew whatever weapons he had hidden in the loft would do nothing to Klaus. A slow, devious smirk grew on Klaus's lips as he watched Tessa lock eyes with Alaric.

"Don't-." Tessa began only to have Klaus's hold on her throat tighten enough to break her words. She felt his hand trailing up her thigh. Tessa's right hand gripped Klaus's wrist tighter trying to pull it away from her neck while her left moved to grab the hand he was slowly moving up her leg. It was clear that Klaus was flexing his muscles in front of Alaric. Tessa had given herself over willingly to Alaric which is something she had yet to do to Klaus. His jealousy was clear, as much as he tried to hide it. Tessa could practically smell it on him, she knew he wasn't just mad at her for not returning.

"I still have control over you, Tessa. Do not forget that." She felt his hand slip under the hem of Alaric's shirt. She gasped when she felt his hand move over her more sensitive parts. Tessa's eyes were cast downward, she didn't want to see the look on Alaric's face. Heat rushed up to her cheeks as humiliation washed over her. "What's the matter, love? Cat got your tongue? You were quite a bit louder than this when I last touched you here…" Tessa closed her eyes at his words. She hated the way he was with her. She'd rather the physical abuse; her body could take that, but this mental and emotional torture was something she wasn't used to.

She made a feeble attempt to push him away, but Klaus was too fast for her. One of his hands held her wrists together while the other hadn't moved an inch, he used the weight of his body to pin her to the wall. Leaning in she felt his lips by her ear through her red hair. "I enjoy teasing you, sweetheart, because I love seeing your body's reactions drive you mad." He told her, softly. Tessa's eyes opened and she saw Alaric standing some feet back, she could see anger, and worry in his eyes. As Klaus pulled away from her she shook her head. It was so slight she wasn't sure if Alaric had caught onto it, but he had, thankfully.

"Now, let's get your things then, shall we?"

"Or what?" Tessa asked. Klaus pulled away taking his roaming, and gripping hands with him. "You can't kill me, Klaus. My father has an endless supply of the white oak. If you kill me now, what's to stop him from turning on you and, using it?" She threatened. She could see the glare in his eyes from her speaking of it aloud.

Klaus sighed as he turned to face Alaric. "Now, Tessa, my dear. You've just put this man's life in jeopardy. Unfortunately, though, he's on vervain so I can't compel him. What with that stupid resurrection ring, I can't kill him either." Klaus shrugged suddenly. "I'll take him back to the manor then too." Klaus moved with such speed that Alaric hadn't had time to react, Klaus was behind him and was about to snap his neck. A sudden knock on the door sounded and everyone froze.

"Alaric?!" It was Elena's voice from the other side. "Are you up yet?! We have to take Jeremy to the airport." The doorknob twisted, and Alaric reacted in seconds, he yanked open the door surprising Elena. "Give me a minute to get dressed; I-I overslept." His explanation was brief, but enough for Klaus to realize that if he took Alaric his absence would be noticed. Alaric closed the door quickly leaning against it.

"Hmm," Klaus said as he eyed the vampire hunter, then he shifted his gaze to Tessa. "I'll be back for you, mate. For now, my concern is her." With that said, Klaus moved towards Tessa, with a quick snap of her neck she drifted into blackness.

When Tessa awoke she was in the room back at Klaus's manor. She groaned, her neck stiff from being broken. Klaus sat in an armchair as he drank from a cup, Tessa smelled the blood from her bed. He'd left her in Alaric's oversized shirt, thankfully.

"Seems, you felt the need to let off a little steam. I'm surprised that it was Alaric of all people, although it does make sense." Tessa was still feeling disoriented as she sat up in bed. "He had been grieving for his dead girlfriend that I killed months ago, and you- well- I recently killed a lot of people you loved, haven't I?" Klaus's evil smirk set Tessa on edge.

"What's one more?" He asked. Tessa's mind jumped to Alaric's safety now, she opened her mouth to make an attempt at bargaining with Klaus. Alaric had nothing to do with the white oak stakes, he knew nothing, because Tessa had kept him in the dark. However, Tessa heard another deep voice from somewhere in the mansion and knew then that it hadn't been Alaric he was referring to.

"Klaus. No." Tessa told him quickly as she stood up.

He grinned down at her as he stood as well, "Just get dressed, love. I don't think you dad would be overjoyed in meeting with us, with you wearing that." Tessa turned looking around her bedroom, she moved quickly towards the dresser. She hesitated as she took her outfit out.

"Aren't you going to leave?" She asked him with her eyebrows furrowed.

"What? And, give you another chance to flee again? I don't think so, love." Tessa sighed irritated now as she shrugged out of Alaric's shirt. Tessa refused to give Klaus the satisfaction of acknowledging his presence as she began to dress pulling on her undergarments and, black thigh highs. She shimmied a pink skirt with black polka dots over it. The high waist held six black buttons paired across from one another perfectly. She threw on a plain tight black shirt, with three-quarter sleeves before snagging her other pair of black boots-given the ones she'd had on yesterday remained at Alaric's loft. Tessa glared up at Klaus as she finished.

"Let's go and meet your father then, shall we?" He asked twisting the doorknob and opening the door. Tessa followed him out with a sigh wishing she could just rewind time to this morning when she woke up feeling almost normal. Tessa followed Klaus down the hall into the massive sitting room. Charles stood holding a duffle bag. He looked to Tessa scanning her up and, down check for anything, Tessa nodded at him to tell her she was fine.

"Charles! So glad to see you again, with… the stakes."

"There's more where that came from," Charles told him as he took a step further into the room tossing the bag roughly on the floor. "I want my daughter, Klaus."

"Ah, ah, ah, I believe you owe my hybrids a visit or two before we discuss that. Just take a couple weeks, and go train them. Tessa will be here- safe. All in one piece. I give you my word." Klaus added the last part for good measure. There was a moment of silence that passed between the two before her father spoke.

"Alright, Klaus. Where the hell are they?"

That's when Klaus hissed out an irritated breath, "Well, you see an old frenemy of mine seems to have a problem with their presence in this town, so they are just outside of town- others are sequestered to Whitmore College in McKinley. I have them everywhere."

"Well, unfortunately, they'll all need to be together in one place in order for me to train them," Charles stated bluntly. He was having none of the idle chat that Klaus liked to indulge in.

"Oh, that won't be a problem. I'll have them all meet in the woods, you can train them at night once the sun has gone down. Before then, however, I have an errand of sorts for you. I need you to meet a hybrid, Daniel. He's in Monroe North Carolina, and you will help him."

"First, you expect me to train them without the proper equipment, and in the woods? I know that you wolves enjoy rolling in the dirt, and wilderness, but I don't, and now you want me to be your errand boy? I'm not someone to place on a leash, Klaus."

"You will do as I ask, or your daughter here will suffer for your mistakes, as it is she has to face the consequences of her own stupid, and rash actions," Klaus said. Tessa saw her father's eyebrows turn downwards at Klaus's words. He glanced at Tessa, and within seconds he stood by the duffle he'd dropped, with a stake in his hand.

"You won't be doing anything to her." Tessa stared at her father knowing he was acting out of anger. It was stupid. She didn't want to lose him, so she moved quickly pushing between the pair. Her hand on Klaus's chest while she pushed her father back.

"Stop."

Klaus blinked quickly as he glanced down at her hand, and then up at her father across from him. "Charles. Leave. Help Daniel then you will meet with the Hybrids exactly at 10 o'clock in the Riven Rock Park tonight. If you don't show, my hybrids will alert me, and your daughter dies. Then I'll be out to hunt you and burn the remaining white oak you have."

"Good luck finding it, Klaus," Charles smirked.

"Oh, I'm quite aware of its whereabouts. A small group of my Hybrids is nearing your greenhouse in Amherst, as we speak." Charles once confident demeanor changed instantly, "I had you tailed from the moment you walked out of my manor. They aren't up to standard in hand to hand combat, but my hybrids are efficient to remain hidden when needed."

"Dad. It's okay; just go." Tessa pleaded. Her father did not want to leave her with Klaus, that much was obvious.

"I just got you back, Tess…" Charles trailed off. Tessa had been so wrapped up in her father's emotions that she'd forgotten about Klaus and his dastardly plans. His arms went around her quickly as he snatched a stake from the duffle bag below, he kicked it back behind him out of anyone's reach and held the stake threateningly.

"Go Charles. Now. Or you'll be finding yourself suddenly estranged for all time." Klaus was holding her steadily against him as Charles appeared to be debating whether or not he should go. "Tick tock, hunter." Klaus grinned. Charles made a move to leave, but Klaus called after him, "The stake."

Charles paused as he slammed his stake on the decorative table before taking off in a blink of an eye. Tessa sighed releasing a tension she hadn't realized she was holding. Fear had gripped her chest when she'd thought her father was in danger. Klaus dropped the stake into the bag behind him before he'd settled by the fireplace in the other room, she watched as Klaus tossed each stake into the flames causing them to light up burning her families legacy to ash.

Tessa crept up to the doorway her eyes staring daggers at Klaus, "Something to say, love?"

"Why is it that you never told me my father was alive?" She asked him, her tone was as sharp as the stakes he was destroying.

Klaus sighed as he sat back on his haunches from leaning in close to the fire, "Does it really matter now?" He asked her almost tiredly. Tessa remained silent, simply staring at him.

Klaus ran a hand through his blonde curls, "I wasn't even sure of it until we'd landed back in Mystic Falls, love."

Tessa rolled her eyes, annoyed by him calling her any sort of endearing pet name. "Yes, but you still didn't tell me-even after admitting you were meeting with someone from my family."

"God, Tessa. Are you that stupid? I simply didn't want to tell you. I was banking on your surprise being your trigger to your emotions. Your crafty father needed to see that in you for my plan to work." Klaus told her as he stood up from his knees. Tessa's brows furrowed at his sudden change in tone- he was angry, "I have the control here. You know whatever it is that I want you to. Your father, of course, is finding out the hard way; or at least he will when he reaches Amherst, Massachusetts. My Hybrids have burned down what little trees he has, his leverage- and, by extension, yours as well- is gone." Klaus grinned.

Tessa brows furrowed deeper in anger, her body reacted to his threat within seconds she'd had a white oak dagger pinned against his chest. Something in her had snapped. She had enough of his mind games and threats. She wanted out, and she wanted out now.

"I'm trying my best to be polite, love, but if you move that stake even a centimeter closer to me I will tear you apart," Klaus growled down at her. His now dark eyes flashed a gold color as he became defensive, and Tessa remained still her eyes not leaving his face.

She had the one and only weapon that could kill him pressed against his chest and, he was still calling her love? "You don't think I'll kill you? I was picked for this mission, Klaus- and with good reason."

Klaus smirked down at her. "I have no doubt in my mind that you'd do it- however, your feelings for me have grown- whether you'd like to admit that or not."

"I'm sorry- were you not standing in the same hunter's loft that I was this morning?" Tessa asked. Her irritation growing even more at his arrogant insinuation of her feelings. "I slept with that Alaric guy. Not you." She told him softly leaning closer to him, slightly.

Klaus moved his hand to her wrist and, Tessa pressed the stake right up to his chest. She heard a slight growl, feeling it rumble the Hybrid's chest. "Don't do something you might regret now, love." Tessa heard the same modulated voice Klaus always used when he was trying to appease someone; she'd watched him persuade, compel, and convince someone to do as he asked plenty of times in the last months they'd been together.

Her grip redoubled on the stake as she now pressed it against his chest harder- it wasn't enough to break through the skin, but it was enough to set Klaus on edge- he reacted simply by snapping her wrist-causing her to drop the stake, and he slammed her back against the nearest wall.

"I would end you within a second, hunter. Don't forget that." He seethed through clenched teeth. "Your leverage is gone, the very thing guaranteeing your safety has been burned to ash in the ground."

"For all you know, my father may have another grove of white oak trees. My father has friends, family. I can promise you that there's more than what you think you have." Tessa gritted out quickly as Klaus's hold on her throat tightened, "Besides if you were going to kill me you'd have done so already."

Klaus chuckled softly as he moved a lock of orange-red hair out of Tessa's face, "For someone who'd been so keen to die after transitioning, your will to live is surprising."

"My mother's dead and my family no longer hunts me. Forgive me for my desire of self-preservation." She told him with a glare as her good hand gripped his wrist. "Oh no, love. Your self-preservation is what's so interesting about you- your father seems to have it as well, hence why he remains a vampire after 15 years. Otherwise, you'd be just as boring as the rest of the hunter's in your line."

Klaus's hand pulled away as he kicked the rest of the stakes into the fire, as he walked over to his alcohol cabinet and poured himself a drink. "Wh-why haven't you killed me yet?" Tessa asked after she'd sank to the ground, her knees pulled into her chest as she looked up at Klaus. "There must be something about me that intrigues you, otherwise I'd have been dead long before now. You have my father- He's agreeing to your terms. As you've already stated you've burned down the white oak grove he built, and as far as you know there is no more."

"You just said-." He started turning and moving closer to Tessa.

"Maybe I was lying?" Tessa cut him off, "You don't know."

"You weren't," Klaus told her so matter-of-factly that it caused Tessa to hesitate before speaking. He turned away to stare down at the fire now.

"How-how can you be so-?" She asked as she moved closer to him.

"You aren't the only person that has the ability to watch and understand someone," Klaus told her. His voice was soft as he glanced at her with a crooked smirk. "Guess keeping you around has more perks than just giving me the ability to manipulate your father." Tessa felt her heart rate pick up at his lingering so she glanced away; down towards the fire.

Tessa remained silent not wanting to show that he was right in his earlier statement- even if she had the opportunity to, she couldn't kill him. Not anymore. With that thought in mind, she turned and exited the living room wanting nothing to do with him for the rest of the day. She'd managed to avoid Klaus until she'd heard him hollering for her upon his entrance. He and, Daniel were walking into the recently renovated room pushing caskets in front of them.

"Seems you've got your family back," Tessa said as she waltzed up beside Klaus. "You going to open them?" Tessa asked trailing her hand over the wood as she stared at three rather intimidating coffins the pair had finished pushing through the door.

"Not quite yet," Klaus told her as he grabbed her wrists tightly. He was stern in his removal of her hand from the smoothed and lacquered wood. "I still have some unfinished business to take care of," Klaus told her as he pulled her with him out of the room.

"What business?" Daniel's voice asked as he turned. Tessa stared at his pale face, and red hair- the two had almost looked related, but she knew better. Amid Klaus's answer, the boy's face twisted in pain, and Tessa heard the all too familiar sound of his heart being extracted. A tall, sickly pale looking man stood in his place. His dark hair fell over his forehead, Daniel's heart thudded to the ground and Tessa eyes frantically searched the coffins in the back. The far one had been opened and what appeared to be inside was out.

"So, Niklaus…" The man began.

"Elijah." Was all Klaus said. Tessa felt his grip on her wrist fall away and, she took the opportunity to back up. She'd read about the Original family as much as she could before beginning to track Klaus down. She knew who this man was the minute Klaus uttered his name.

"What'd I miss?"

Klaus was shocked into silence- which was a rare thing. Tessa never took her eyes from the man in front of her, "You seem surprised to see me; Guess it wasn't you that removed the dagger from my chest."

"You look like you could do with a drink, and we have a lot to discuss, shall we?" Klaus's voice was hollow, but he'd seemed to remember himself now. Elijah didn't respond, nor did he wait for Klaus to speak again. He just pounced. He landed a blow to Klaus's head and kicked him back through the closed French door in the double doorway. Glass shattered and, wood splintered off of the no broken door.

Klaus was on all fours in a split second, his eyes glaring darkly at Elijah, "Easy! I just finished renovating." He told his brother with a cocky smile. Tessa side stepped Elijah as he moved in on Klaus. She wanted no part of this fight, her instincts told her to stay out of it, she had no interest in ending her life at the moment. Elijah turned to stare at her when she'd moved giving Klaus the opportunity he needed. In a flash, Klaus had Elijah by the collar, and he slammed his older brother crashing down on a glass table. "You know, you have every right to be mad at me, but I kept my word. I reunited you with our family."

Tessa was surprised to see Elijah up and, throwing a hard right hook in Klaus's face, and then a left, and then another right. Elijah was fast, but Klaus was faster. Klaus grabbed his brother by the neck and opened another coffin yanking the dagger out of it and holding it over Elijah's heart. It hit Tessa then that he wasn't treating his own brother any different than how he'd been treating her, granted there was more sexual tension- but, she didn't see that happening amongst the siblings.

"Don't make me do this to you again, Elijah!" Klaus yelled his grip on his brother's throat tightening.

"Use it. I dare you, then you'll have Kol to deal with." The par was rigid in their stances neither one backing down from the other. Suddenly Klaus moved the dagger away while saying, "Mikael is dead."

Elijah's face changed to shock, "What did you say?" He asked as Klaus's hand fell away from his throat.

"I killed him with his own weapon. He's gone, Elijah. Forever."

"Then why do our family remain in these coffins? Finn for over 900 years? Kol for over a century?" Elijah's anger was back. Tessa watched as his body went rigid gesturing at the people's respective coffins as he spoke.

"Because of Stefan Salvatore," At the name, Tessa's head snapped in Klaus's direction, she'd hated that man. "He holds the one thing keeping me from freeing them. There are things that you do not know about our past, Elijah. Our Mother's death; Things I never wanted you to know, but I am ready to tell you now." Klaus moved away suddenly as he opened a little container only to dip the tip of the dagger into it, "I only ask, that you remember the oath of loyalty you once swore to me."

"What're you doing?" Elijah asked. His voice deep with frustration, Tessa saw his arm twitch in his attempt to control himself from grabbing the dagger in Klaus's arm as Klaus plunged the dagger back into Kol's chest.

"Always and Forever." Klaus said as he looked back at Elijah, he turned and stared at his brother, "I need you by my side. Be my brother… help me destroy Stefan, and I promise you our family will be whole again." With that said, Klaus reached over and closed Kol's coffin.

Elijah turned suddenly, his eyes finding Tessa in the doorway. She was surprised at their behavior. The stark difference was like night and, day.

"And, who seems to be your house guest, Niklaus?" Elijah began to move closer to Tessa as if he were gliding, "Apologies for the mess, and lack of a proper introduction." Tessa stared at him unsure if he was anything like Klaus. Elijah stuck his hand out waiting for her and she hesitated not wanting to find out the hard way.

"Oh, I won't bite, darling. You'll find my company to be far more hospitable than that of my brother's." He told her with a disarming smile. Dazed by his polite behavior Tessa stuck her hand out, he held up to brush his mouth over it as Klaus came up at his side.

"She's become so accustomed to my behavior that I'm sure it's refreshing for yours." Klaus had a slight grin on his face as his eyes moved over her. "Tessa, be a dear and clean-."

"Klaus," Elijah said in a tone that was disapproving.

Klaus rolled his eyes at that, he walked off signaling for his brother to follow. Elijah gave her a smile and a courteous nod before departing. A ringing broke Tessa from her train of thoughts that followed the Original brother's, she couldn't see how Klaus could possibly expect loyalty from the siblings he's kept locked away for so long. The continued ringing annoyed her until Tessa realized it came from Daniel's pocket. She pulled the phone out of his pocket and answered quickly, "Hello?"

"Tessa?" It was her father. She glanced at the clock and saw it was 10:34, "How- How'd you get-?"

"Daniel's dead. Long story." She told him quickly, she wasn't sure how much time she had to talk to him unsupervised. "Klaus found your grove of white oak in Amherst. He burned it down Da-." She'd cut off her last word unsure if she'd wanted to grow attached to someone she was sure she would lose. Again.

She could hear the smirk in her father's voice. "Good. It was the one we'd wanted him to burn, there was no white oaks there, Tess. Just a smorgasbord of wild oak trees that we'd had planted there. The real stuff is out of the country- we work mostly in Canada."

"Who-who's we?" She asked now more alert. She assumed her dad had been working with family, but she didn't know how much family. There was growling in the background, it was Klaus's hybrids.

"It- it's hard to explain, Tessa. I'd like to do it in person. I, unfortunately, have to get back to training the dogs for Klaus, but I will explain. I'm stopping in Mystic Falls again and, we'll have breakfast, alright?" Before she could agree or disagree her father said his goodbyes, and hung up. Tessa sighed hearing the beeping noise from the phone as it ended the call. She sighed not wanting to clean up the dead body, but Klaus and Elijah had taken their leave, so she was left with no other option.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	13. Bringing out the Dead prt1

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you.**

 **Okay all! Big, big, big thank you to Serendipity now, I really appreciated the feedback on the rough draft. It just kinda cemented my feelings on the whole thing, so this is what I've changed it to, it starts out a little odd, but it will make sense by the end of the chapter. Thank you all for your views, and reads. I am currently working on part 2 right now, so please be on the look out for that within the next day or two.**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after the woman in the previous cover photo who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark, and her father, Charles is inspired by the actor Michael Fassbender. Just incase anyone was curious.** **Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 13: Bringing out the Dead prt 1  
**

She'd awoken early that morning, still tired after burning Daniel's body and fixing up the mess left by the feuding brothers she dressed quickly opting for a green tank top, pairing it with a zip-up hooded sweat jacket and jeans. Tessa made to leave the mansion quickly, but she couldn't shake this weirdly oppressed feeling on her shoulders as she moved about the mansion. "Going somewhere?" She paused at the front door hearing Elijah's voice. She turned her head to find him dressed in a suit again. She bit her lip knowing she was caught leaving.

"Uhm… It's just my-my dad."

"Ah yes, Niklaus filled me in on the details of that. Seems he has some white oak he's planning on using as leverage for your freedom." Elijah said as he came down the hall, closer to Tessa who'd gripped the brass doorknob tighter.

"Yeah-yeah, I guess so."

"I don't blame him. I'd be doing all that I could if I were in his position as well. Klaus is very hard to please, he can be quite demanding."

"I just want to meet him for breakfast, we haven't been together in so long-."

"Ah, no need to explain," Elijah said holding up his hand. "I know you are compelled to the town so you are free to go, but not before-," Tessa had made a move to open the door only to be halted by Elijah. "you allow me to walk you to where ever it is you are meeting." Tessa nodded slightly with a small smile surprised by his kindness.

Elijah and she walked slowly toward the grille. Her father was waiting for her inside, so she said her goodbye to Elijah and ducked in quickly.

"Tessa. Baby, it's good to see your alright. I hate having to leave you at that house, with those monsters." He stood to hug her, before gesturing her to sit across from him. Tessa was about to correct him that Klaus's siblings didn't seem to be just like him, but she thought it better to not say anything about it.

"What were you talking about last night? The Grove was a decoy? How the hell have you managed to grow so many tree-?"

Her dad stared at her over his drink, "Drink up, Tess." He nodded to her coffee. She hesitated but took a slow sip. Her throat burned and threatened to throw it up. It wasn't as bad as it usually was, but it was enough for her to become uncomfortable.

"Dad, what-?" She began, but her coughing started again.

"Vervain. You ought to start drinking it that was your not susceptible to Klaus's compulsion anymore. I'll leave you some." Her dad told her seriously. Tessa watched as he drank from his cup without a problem.

"I've built up a tolerance to it. You can too." Tessa grimaced before taking another sip of coffee. She hated vervain, but it seemed to be a necessary evil at this point.

"Who're you working with?" She asked him quickly. He glanced up at the waiter's sudden appearance, "What can I get you?" He asked. Tessa looked up to find a pair of familiar blue eyes and blond hair.

"Hey," She smiled, Matt seemed to be the only person working in the café. "Seems, I'm always running into you here."

He laughed out loud, "I know, it's like you know I work here." He chuckled. Tessa's dad watched on silently between the two. Tessa smirked up at him.

"Hey, I didn't hear you complaining when I left that hundred behind."

Matt chuckled as some color blossomed over his smiling face, "Yeah, I-uh-th-thanks for that. Really." Tessa shrugged as she returned her attention to her father. Charles visibly stiffened.

"Oh! Sorry, Dad, this is Matt. Matt this is my father, Charles." Matt nodded as he shook hands with Charles. "So, uh… are-are you guys all staying with Klaus-?"

"No, thankfully." Her father said gruffly, it was a sore subject. Clearly. "I'm here to get Tessa outta that house, away from him, but it's proving to be a process." Matt nodded unsure of what to say. "Enough about that, I'm out now, and I could really use some steak and eggs."

Matt nodded as he looked over at Tessa with a confused expression, but took the order down anyways. "And, how do you want your steak?"

"Bloody. Please." Charles bit out. Tessa could see the visible difference in her father but didn't question it in front of Matt. He turned to her awaiting her order.

"Uhm, just an egg sandwich, please." She told him as they handed the menus to the guy. Matt headed off in the direction of the kitchen with their order.

"Hey, you okay?" She asked him with an eyebrow quirked. Her dad nodded wordlessly.

"It's just I haven't fed in a while. The steak will help though. Don't worry, I'll do so when I leave, alright?" Tessa nodded before diving back into the conversation, "Who're you working with?"

"Family." He told her with a blank expression, "Well, more your mother's side of the family."

"Mom-Mom's family?" She asked dumbfounded. Her hand traced the lip of her vervain spiked coffee mug. "How-? Aren't they witches? Shouldn't they hate you now?" Her father held up a hand as if to tell her to slow down as he finished drinking his coffee.

"A witch? Your mother's not a-? Is that what she told you?" He seemed to be talking more to himself than Tessa now. "Your mother was estranged from her family for helping hunters. For a long time. Witches took her in, but your mother wasn't a witch, Tessa. She-she came from a long line of different people." Tessa choked on her coffee snorting it up her nose. I thought this vampirism was supposed to make me graceful. She thought begrudgingly as she wiped her face with a napkin.

"I'm sorry… a long line of what kind of people?" She asked her father trying to hide her smirk, unsuccessfully.

"Fairies." Charles face remained serious as stone. "I know how this sounds, but Fairies are-are-."

"Not real. C'mon dad. Vampires, and werewolves? We hunt them. I've seen them; I've never come across as freaking-."

"Just because you've never come across it, doesn't mean they don't exist. The majority of fairies died out long ago with trolls, nokk, and the krakens." Tessa stared at her dad unable to hide her expression of disbelief. "I'm serious, Tessa, these are monsters my family has helped wipe out long ago. Back in Viking times, before the werewolves and vampires became a thing these were the monsters we faced."

Tessa took a breath as she opened her mouth to respond, "So… If any of this is true, and that's a big if You mean to tell me that hunter's used to hunt fairies?" Her father nodded. "So how the hell is it that mom became a hunter? How is it that she was helping hunters?"

Her dad sat back in his chair. "Her family had lived in secret for centuries. Fairies age very, very slow, the first ones were very similar to witches. They were connected to the earth and lived in peace, however, vampires are drawn to whatever magic runs through the blood of the Fae people. Your mother had been caught helping hunter's in Germany, as a result, she was sequestered here, she was given a place among witches where she could safely practice her magic, but her intentions were to heal only. Most now solely use their powers for good, and it- it wasn't always so. Your mother's line, however, was different, they didn't use their powers as much which resulted in them not getting caught for so long. It also caused your line to weaken, and as you know was mostly wiped out by-."

"Klaus." Tessa finished softly, she was sure he'd assumed they were witches. By then the Fae were nearly extinct as her father said.

"Anyways, she met me and then had a family. Now, I'm not sure how this works, Tessa, I- I didn't know about it until her family came snooping around looking for her, but it's true. I've met them. You are half-Fae, half-human." He told her.

"And, vampire." She stated softly.

"Why didn't mom ever tell us?" Tessa asked after a silence passed over them.

Chares shrugged, "She would only ever use enough to heal people, and even that was rare." Her dad told her only to be interrupted when Matt appeared with the plates of food they'd ordered.

"Can-can I get you anything else?" He asked in the awkward silence.

"No, thank you." Her father replied as he picked up his silverware to dig into his steak and eggs, with that Matt left. Tessa glanced down at her food not wanting to eat anymore. Was this why Klaus kept her around? Did he know this whole time?

"I-I think you being a vampire now effects your fairy-ness." He told her after swallowing his bite of steak. Tessa could see the blood pooling on his plate. "All the other fae in your line had magic. Did you-?"

Tessa nodded not saying anything still.

"I know this is hard, Tessa, but you have to talk to me." Her dad had leaned over his plate to mutter those words to her softly. She could see his concern in his dark molasses eyes.

"I-I did, but I never really practiced magic like mom, and Harper did. I was mostly a hunter at heart." She told him, her voice was soft now. Tessa continued to stare back down at her plate.

"I-I think I can help you, honey. You see Fae aren't like witches with having to have a spiritual connection to the earth- their magic comes from the being itself- their life force, not their connection to the earth or their ancestors like witches."

"Wait, you-you think I can still use magic? What kind of magic? I'm-I'm dead though." She trailed off pushing her plate away from her now.

Her father shrugged in response as he ate more food. "Yes, but with the help of dark magic from a spell- your body has returned to the state it was before you died… I don't know. I'll have to ask around, the-uh- people that I've gotten in touch with aren't very familiar with your mother, she'd been exiled before they were born. It took a lot for them to trust me, they can sense other supernaturals. They knew that I was a vampire right away." Tessa just sat there trying to take it all in. She wasn't sure how to feel about it. She'd been lied to about who she was her whole life.

"Is there any way Klaus knew about this?" Tessa asked suddenly, cutting her dad off.

Charles paused in his eating to look at his daughter, he shook his head, "It's unlikely. Your mother kept the fact hidden well. Most vampires came around after the number of Fae were down to nothing. Even with me, if the vampires I hunted had somehow found out the information it was because they'd used your mother against me. None of them lived to tell the secret though," Her father smiled softly as memories seemed to flicker through his head. "It's dangerous, Tessa. Your blood is stronger than what you think. The vampires- they-they'd kill you even now, you may be a vampire but, fae blood still runs through your veins, and it's a delicacy that most vampires won't hesitate to drink until there's nothing left in you."

"I mean, that would explain why Klaus has been keeping me alive. He probably thinks he could use me as a personal weapon like everything else in his life." Her father appeared to be giving it some thought before speaking.

"He was using you to get to me. At least I hope that's the only reason if he knows then he knows there's a chance you can use magic."

"I still don't understand," She mumbled.

"I-I don't know much about this Tessa. I brought one of the Fae I'm working with here. Fae are very untrusting though, they're secretive, and don't like opening up to strangers. So it will take some convincing for her to meet with you. That was partly the reason I went to them. Not only do they have a great connection to the earth- they know things from centuries past that helped in the creation of the White Oak Grove, and they knew how to keep it secret. If it weren't for them, we'd have lost what little we had, plus having their magic around to speed up the process never hurt." Tessa nodded, unsure of what to say.

"I want to buy some property here, for you. Is there a human you've met and trust that I can put the house in his name?" He changed the subject suddenly.

Tessa paused biting her lip as she ran through the short list of humans that resided in Mystic Falls, "One, maybe." She replied thinking of the man she'd slept with just the other night. "I have time to talk it over with this person, right?" She asked.

Charles nodded as he took another bite finishing off his steak. He looked visibly better- the paleness in his skin was less sickly, he wasn't as alert as he was when he'd entered. Tessa focused on her food then, sensing the hunger starting to gnaw at her from within- she knew this wouldn't sate it, but it would help in holding it off until she could get a hold of a blood bag. She'd been avoiding drinking it right from the source since her emotions were flipped back on; The temptation to kill was still too much for her.

"What is an undead fairy?" She wondered aloud as she drank some of the spiked coffee down quickly. Charles' eyebrows jerked upwards at the thought, and he shrugged.

"I'll do some digging, Tessa. There may be something in you that you could hopefully use to get out from under Klaus. I can only have so many back up plans before he finds the real grove." Charles said as he worked at the eggs on his plate. Tessa remained silent, still not shaking the feeling of dread she woke up with.

Matt walked over at that moment, with the check, and before her father could react Tessa snagged the leather-bound book from Matts' hands and slid some money in before handing it back to him. "Change this time?" Matt asked looking at the older man and then to his daughter with a small smirk on his lips.

"Nope," Tessa responded as she slid her plate from her. She needed to get out of here, not only was her hunger eating at her but now she was itching to do some researching of her own.

"What about him?" Charles asked suddenly as Matt walked away.

"What?" Tessa replied her tone was a mix of shock and confusion. "Him? I barely know him. I've only been here twice, and both times he's been here. That's all."

"Well, seems like you ought to start making new friends, my dear." He told her as he slid something across the table to her before standing and grabbing his jacket to leave.

"Where are you going?" Tessa asked him.

"I'm meeting up with my friend, if I start convincing them to meet you now, I should be able to get it done tomorrow before they leave for the actual grove." Tessa nodded as she looked down to see what her dad had slipped her, it was a phone. She smirked seeing it had all the basics, touch screen, screen protector, and a case. Her dad must've had experience with breaking cell phones in between his fighting the good fight. Looking around she caught the eye of Matt again, she was tempted to go and try for his number but moved to get up after slipping the new iphone in her jeans pocket, that was when she heard it. There was groans and, grunts causing Tessa to stand and simply react. She vanished from the table and stood outside of the grille, around the side to the back. Her father was there between two hybrids.

"C'mon old man. You must've been all talk last night about fighting. You're nothing compared to the three of us." Two boys, each, had an arm of her father holding them apart while a third moved to strike at him. Her stomach lurched as she watched the first punch. Her father groaned as he hunched over only to be pulled up roughly. Tessa's body slammed into the man that had punched first sending the hybrid soaring to the concrete below.

"You aren't supposed to be here." She told him; her eyes pinning him where he lay. Tessa was having a hard time focusing now, the dread she felt was just twisting in her gut, she knew something bad was happening she just couldn't tell what it was.

"Says who, girly? You?" The hybrid scoffed. He looked similar to the other two that now had a tighter hold on her father, same black hair, tawny skin and brown eyes. They were all related somehow.

"Says, Klaus." She told him, her bravado not wavering for a second. "He sent all of you out of town because he made a deal with Stefan Salvatore."

"And, we left. We only came back on his account. The Vampire training us has a superiority complex, you the hear the way he talks about us. As if we're garbage when we are ten times what he is." The guy told her through clenched teeth. He kept getting in closer and closer.

"Oh yeah?" Tessa asked unimpressed by his attitude. "Do you even know who he is?" She asked simply.

"Who cares?" One of the other guys asked from behind her. Tessa scoffed at how they shrugged her off.

"He's not just any vampire. He's a vampire hunter, one that you don't want to mess with… kinda like me." She continued as she took a step closer to the guy before her. She watched his eyes trail up her body stopping on her face. Within seconds she'd had him in a hold with his arm twisted behind his back. Tessa caught his other arm as it struck out, just before it hit her head. Tessa turned them quickly slamming him face first into the brick wall of the grille, she was satisfied to hear the sickening crack of his nose, he turned on her, his eyes flashing much like Klaus's. Tessa took a step back only to remember there were two more hybrid's behind her. Her father now laid on the ground knocked out from whatever beating the hybrids gave him before her arrival. She felt them moving in closer, crowding around her. While these hybrid's lacked the skill and training she had… she knew that she was outnumbered and the odds weren't in her favor.

"Enough!" The barking voice of Klaus echoed through the vacant space between the buildings. He stood in all his original hybrid glory, at the corner of the building. His face was tense with anger, Tessa could see the tell-tale signs. His mouth pushed out in a pout, his eyes were glaring at the bloodied faced hybrid. Tessa watched his nose flare upon exhaling a breath and knew they were in trouble, but with his mood swings, she couldn't be sure with whom he was angry at. "What are you three doing here?" He snapped as he surged forwards, his fell on the man knocked unconscious behind them all.

"Hmm." He paused as his eyes flicked to Tessa, "I assume that was all their handiwork."

"Well, I can tell you that it wasn't me." Tessa bit back sarcastically. Klaus huffed his face deadpanning at her wit.

"Boys, I specifically remembering telling all of you that your presence here was not welcome, that you needed to vacate the town, am I right?" Klaus said, turning as he addressed the three men around them. His eyes fell on what seemed to be the leader of the trio, he took in the hybrid's blood-spattered face, and a slight smirk overcame his lips.

"But we-,"

"I also specifically recall meeting the lot of you in Riven Rock Park just last night, telling you that you're to be trained by this man back here, correct?" The three hybrids remained silent, not looking up at Klaus. They knew they'd screwed up by coming back to town, and by making a move against the trainer set to help them. "It's quite clear to me that you need more training and under harsher measurements at your lack of defense against one vampire and your defiance of my requests."

"You never said we couldn't come back." One of the other hybrids spoke up, within seconds Klaus was by him snapping his neck, much to the shock of the other two. They glared harshly at Klaus but didn't utter another word.

"Any more stupid questions or comments?" He asked, "No? Good, then I suggest you remaining two get back to Whitmore. Now." The two hybrids glanced down at their fallen comrade but moved on quickly. Klaus's eyes then turned on Tessa.

"I was surprised to find you gone this morning."

Tessa glanced at him from the ground. "I was meeting with my father, making arrangements for a different house to live in."

"A different house?" Klaus asked sharply. He moved in towards Tessa now, she felt her breathing quicken at his sudden close proximity. He was just protecting his assets. She reasoned inwardly with herself. It's not as if he actually cared, her father is training his army of hybrids. Between the training and, the threat of white oak he needed her, and her family. "I've been a hospitable host, have I not?" Klaus asked her.

Tessa's eyebrows rose in shock at that, "If by hospitable, you mean keeping me within the borders of this godforsaken town; then yes." She sighed at the quirk at the ends of his lips. "Look, you're brother is there, and you now have all those coffins. Please. Just allow me to move out before I get tangled up in your sibling drama."

"Oh, sweetheart, you already are. You're father's threatened the very existence of my family. You and, your family is our target enemy number one."

Tessa reached out placing her hands lightly on his chest as she stared up at him, "Please, Klaus. Just allow me this small breath of freedom. I'm used to living on my own-."

"Alright." He agreed quickly cutting her off as his cell phone rang, "I'll allow you your freedom, so long as the house, your choosing is a foreclosed one, that I have continuous entry to." He answered the phone quickly, "Hello Elijah. I'm a bit busy at the moment-."

Tessa's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at his sudden silence. She watched his face change to one of surprise before he spoke again, "Well, alright then. I'll be home shortly, brother." Klaus hung up the call and slid his phone back into his pea coat pocket.

"Seems we have a truce in the making. Go find your house. I'll be in touch." He started to turn away but, paused spinning to look at Tessa, "Sorry, just one moment." He pulled his phone out again, and Tessa watched him press a few buttons before her back pocket began to vibrate.

"What-?" She began pulling it out.

"You didn't honestly think you'd get a phone without my knowledge, did you?" He chuckled out. Tessa felt her face scrunch in confusion as she glanced down at her father- still knocked out on the cement. Looking up she found Klaus to be gone, with a sigh she picked her father and leaned him against the brick wall of the building. His phone began to ring in his pocket so Tessa answered quickly.

"This… isn't Charles." A female voice said from the other end.

"N-no. This is his daughter, he's been knocked out." She replied still crouched beside her father's form.

"Where are you?" The voice asked suddenly fierce.

Tessa bit her lower lip waiting impatiently for the woman from the mysterious phone call to appear. She heard the distinct click of heels coming closer and, knew that the woman arrived. A blonde with long hair rounded the corner, her outfit was put together nicely. A pencil skirt and blazer adorned the woman that dropped her bag and quickened her pace once she spotted Charles laying on the ground.

"Charles!" She cried once her evergreen eyes shifted down from Tessa to her father, the woman knelt on the concrete as her hand immediately went over his head. Tessa was shocked to see a glow emitting from her hands, a bright yellow-gold glow. The woman's eyes closed in concentration, her face flashing pain before it was gone. The light faded and, her hands were pulled away. Within seconds Tessa's father opened his eyes looking around.

"Paige." Her dad said with a smile, "Saving the day, again."

"What happened to you?" She asked. Tessa could see how worried she was, she knew then that her father was more than just an ally to this particular fairy.

"You-you're a fairy then?" Tessa asked breaking into the conversation of the couple.

"You told her?" The woman- Paige asked with a wide-eyed expression to Charles.

He shook his head, "I did tell her I was in town with a fairy, but not that you were one, or that we're-."

"Dating? Yeah, I can see that." Tessa replied to him icily.

"I wanted to tell you, but we've got more pressing issues-."

"Yes, dad. I'm aware of that. Which is why, I'm skipping right over your social life, and saying I need to find an alternate place to live. I'm fairly certain that once a truce is reached between two feuding vampires- Klaus is going to awaken his siblings." Charles stared at his daughter before pulling himself out of his stupor and standing.

Paige allowed him to lean on her for support, Tessa could see her father was still dizzy, she had healed him enough to awaken him, but the injuries still had lingering effects on him, "Let's get to house shopping then." He said quickly as they walked back around to their cars. She followed the couple to the home they'd been staying in since their arrival.

"I've already taken the liberty to print out the recently foreclosed houses in town, with a little help from compulsion, you should be able to get whichever you like," Paige told her as she placed a stack of papers in Tessa's hands, she smiled at Tessa with her perfectly luminescent white smile. It was clear Tessa's presence set the woman on edge, and Tessa was suspicious of the woman, unsure why she was with her father, or why he trusted her for that matter.

"Tessa, you alright?" Her father's gruff voice cut through her thoughts as he entered the front of the house. They entered into the front hall, the hardwood shining in the sunlight from the massive windows that lined the wall beside the door. Tessa took in the giant staircase twisting along the wall as it led up to a balcony landing. The glass French doors to her left opened to an office- where she was pretty sure her father spent the most of his time when not at the grove of oak trees, or training Klaus's army.

To the left Tessa entered an open doorway to a sitting room, the pristine white made Tessa squint against the sunlight bouncing off of the walls, seems wide, almost room length windows ran throughout the house. His girlfriend is a fairy, Tessa thought cursing the amount of sunlight in the house. She followed her father through the dining area and turning left through another doorway into the massive kitchen. The floor was a grey tile, while the dark granite countertop paired to set the room off nicely. The chandelier hanging over the island made Tessa pause at its beauty.

"Did-did you want to look through the houses?" Her dad asked as he stopped at the counter and opened his fridge, she watched as he tossed a blood bag on the island sliding it her way.

"Not particularly, I- I want answers, dad. I gotta know what I am."

He sighed looking back through another open doorway, it led back to the front hall. Tessa noticed that Page had vanished when they'd walked through the house. "I'll try and talk to Paige, but-but you have to understand. She's extraordinarily nice but very untrusting." Tessa nodded slowly as she picked up the blood bag. Her father turned away carrying his own as Tess began to slurp it like she used to do with Capri Suns in her younger days. As she drank the blood down she could feel a tingling spreading through her body, the beast clawing in her stomach was beginning to settle down. She sighed upon finishing it quickly, before walking around to the fridge to grab another one. Tessa could hear distant voices suddenly whispering. She'd dropped the bag of donated blood suddenly. She looked around unsure if she'd find anyone else, but the whispering was loud as if the person were in her ear, but the words were mumbled and she couldn't make them out. Tessa moved to the dining area and listened to see if they were any louder, that's when she heard it. It started as a low wail and was growing louder. Tessa gasped covering her ears and crying out at the sudden piercing scream she heard. The ringing she was left with was almost deafening. Tessa looked around the house now on alert for anything or anyone. The screaming she heard sounded like the person was in the house with her.

"Dad?!" She called from the bottom of the stairs, all she heard now was the distant voices of hushed arguing, as she continued to call out. "Dad?!" She yelled louder now. No response from the people above, so Tessa huffed turning around to head outside thinking maybe someone was outside of the house, but she came face to face with a woman. Tessa cried out nearly falling back. The woman was dressed in an oversized grey knit sweater, and jeans, her hair was long and stringy. The woman before her was corporeal, Tessa felt her body stiffen. The woman screamed suddenly, nearly deafening Tessa. The woman grabbed her long white hair and was pulling it as if under duress, her eyes were red-rimmed, and her mouth was twisted open into a wide scream. Tessa felt her body reacting to it before she knew what she was doing a scream tore from her own throat. She could feel her heartbeat slamming in her chest as her lungs were fighting from her lack of breath. Suddenly Tessa was snapped back to herself at the feel of a hand on her shoulder.

Tessa jumped spinning around to see her father on the stair above her a knife out at the ready, and Paige just behind him wearing a concerned yet shocked expression, "Tess, are you alright? You- you screamed-?"

"That was inhumane." Paige said suddenly moving by Charles instantly, her eyes scanned the room as if she were looking for something else, "You saw a woman, didn't you?" She asked and, Tessa felt a chill go up her spine. All she could do was nod.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	14. Bringing out the Dead prt2

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you.**

 **Okay all! Big, big, big thank you to Serendipity now, I really appreciated the feedback on the rough draft. It just kinda cemented my feelings on the whole thing, so this is what I've changed it to. Thank you all for your views, and reads.**

 **I wanted to take a second to respond to my last reviewer, thank you for the feedback I'm always greatful for it. I also want to thank you for taking the time to read my story. I'm gonna try and keep it as close to TVD as I can, but par for the course this story does seem to have a few differences from the show, hopefully I'll write it in a way that blends well enough. Thank you again for your review and, your comments. They help keeping the creativity flowing.**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after the woman in the previous cover photo who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark, and her father, Charles is inspired by the actor Michael Fassbender. Just incase anyone was curious.** **Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 14: Bringing out the Dead prt 2  
**

"What the hell was that?" Tessa asked as she paced across the living room for the 7th time. Her father and Paige sat on the couch beside one another- even her father hadn't a clue as to what had taken place moments before.

Paige took a breath as she flipped through a big book, she'd grabbed it from her bedroom after Tessa had calmed down from the shock of what had happened. Her family apparently kept a log of the Fae creatures, so as to keep guard over them, from hunters. "I haven't seen one in my lifetime, and that is saying something. The ones we usually come into contact with are the dead ones. However, you are in a limbo so to speak, neither dead or living, so-so with your fairy heritage it makes sense."

"What about this makes sense?" Tessa snapped at her just wanting to know what it was she saw.

"Here it is," Paige said as she moved to lay the book on the coffee table, she turned so that Tessa could see it right side up, there was no picture, just a title across the top of the page in messy handwriting.

The Banshee

"I'm sorry? What the hell is a Banshee? Why would I see one?" Tessa was growing frustrated at her questions piling up.

"You didn't just see a Banshee, Tessa." Paige began as she turned the book back to herself, "I-I think you are one."

Tessa rolled her eyes now.

"I'm serious. I have never heard a scream like that, except for when a Banshee is wailing on the count of someone dying." Paige explained.

"Okay, well what does that mean? I'm gonna be visited by these things whenever a person dies? Because, I hate to break this to you, but people die every day!" She snapped at the blonde woman angrily.

"Tessa. Paige is just trying to help." Charles said to her, his tone clipping. Tessa bit the inside of her mouth at that, she didn't want to bring it up here, but she was beyond shocked her dad was with someone. She was angry about it, her mother had never moved on, not once. Yet here he was, the man that had lied for years about his death, dating a goddamn fairy.

"I'm sorry." Tessa said shortly after taking a stabling breath, "That- that was terrifying, that's all."

Paige nodded her face taking on an expression of sympathy, "I'm sure it was, Banshees are nothing to mess with. Their screams are powerful things." Tessa nodded, her ears itched at just the memory of the screaming.

"So, why-why would you think I was a Banshee?" Tessa asked as she sat across from the couple in an armchair.

"Well, Banshee's are what used to be fairies, they've passed on, and become the wailing women you see them as. They warn of death, to certain families- they are a popular lore in Ireland, but that was because when the Fae people immigrated to Ireland, they were greeted with hunters-and, well dead fairies equal banshees." Tessa nodded her eyes flicking towards the book. "The banshee visits a household and by wailing she warns them that person is about to die." Paige read from her book, Tessa paused her eyes flicking over to her father then back to Paige.

"How am I supposed to figure out who?" Tessa questioned glancing out of the front window.

"I don't know," Paige told her as she slid her hand over Tessa's. Tessa paused as she glanced in Paige's direction. She wasn't used to this motherly thing she was trying to pull, Tessa was used to her mother- her mother would have told her to toughen up, and start forming a plan of action.

"Is there any information on them, can-can they do magic?" Tessa asked with a glance down at the book. Paige's eyes skimmed over the book again quickly.

"I'm- I'm only seeing that their scream is a form of psionic power, it can cause supernatural creatures serious harm by popping blood vessels due to enhanced hearing, as well as causing some humans to go mad from prolonged exposure. They can sometimes get premonitions of impending deaths, they teleport to the deaths they were sent to warn about as well. It says their weakness is iron. Pure, cold-forged iron." Paige finished.

"Why now though? Why haven't the powers come out before? I-I was with Klaus when he'd killed his father, who was a massively powerful not just vampire, but vampire hunter. I should have heard at least one banshee screaming." Tessa continued trying to put pieces together.

Paige shrugged unsure herself, she only knew what was in her book apparently. "Is there no one else that's a banshee to talk to?"

"Not living; no," Paige replied flipping through the book again. "Forgive me, but your father mentioned that your humanity was off for a while." Tessa sighed irritated that that would come up in conversation with someone she didn't know but nodded all the same.

"I'm thinking that with your humanity off, your connection to your Fae side is weakened so you couldn't hear the scream of the banshee."

"Yeah, I didn't hear a thing other than you, Tess." Her father told her. He placed his knife on the coffee table while they spoke.

"I don't know how… it was loud." Tessa grumbled still recalling the scream. Her mind was racing with trying to figure out what the hell she could do to change it, being a vampire was hard enough. She didn't need random visits from other banshees whenever someone has died.

"I heard it." Paige said, "But, I'm fae, so…"

"You think only Fairies can hear the scream of the banshee?" Tessa asked as her eyes moved over the book and up to meet Paige's stare.

"I think only the Fae and the people she is warning can hear the scream, but you-you aren't like most banshees, most of them are spirits of fae, while you are undead. I think because of that fact, you can be heard by everyone. I don't know how much of this applies to you because the majority of it stems from ghostly beings- which you aren't."

"Great," Tessa muttered sarcastically, she reminisced back to the good old days, when her main problem was just killing vampires. "Well, aside from all of… this, what about the white oak? Where are you keeping it?" She asked wanting to change the subject from something she could do nothing about.

"That's secret," Paige said, her expression suddenly stoic, and closed off.

"Wha-? What?" Tessa asked her anger spiking again. "What the hell do you mean-?"

"Paige," Charles said his voice seemingly tired now. Tessa could tell that the couple has discussed this before.

"No, Charles! You will not tell her the location not while she's living under the roof of that monster, and definitely not until she gets a build up of vervain in her system." Tessa rolled her eyes at that.

"Paige, I've been the one with my ass on the line here." Tessa reasoned.

"I get that, Tessa. I do, but I'm sorry you can't know. Not yet." She said. Tessa looked at her father now, hoping for some help.

"I'm sorry, Tess." He began.

"You're ridiculous." She snapped at him as she grabbed up her sweater she'd thrown on the arm of the chair during her pacing, "I'm trying to help, and you keep putting me on the back burner, I'm not 6 anymore dad. I'm an adult that is fully capable of handling whatever I get thrown, including keeping your secrets." With that, she turned out of the living room and headed through the doorway towards the front hall.

"Tessa wait!" Her father called after her, but she continued out, getting in her car, and driving towards a little place she couldn't stop thinking about since she left it.

Walking up the stairs she turned to face the brass number 9 on a plain wooden door. According to marked mailboxes, Mr. Alaric Saltzman resided in this one, her memory of entering the apartment was hazy but everything that took place within was crystal clear. Moving over to it she felt an unease overcome her, she unwittingly placed her hand on the door leaning against it for support as a sudden pain in her abdomen struck her. It was sharp and felt as though her muscles were burning. It was as if she'd been stabbed, and Tessa cried out in pain. One hand was on the door, while the other gripped the doorway tightly.

The door opened and light filled the dim hallway, "Tessa?" That voice, she recalled the way her name sounded in low groans and the sounds of muttered cursing in ecstasy. Tessa gasped feeling a second strike to her chest this time, it was as though someone stabbed her in the heart. She grunted in pain, and her knees buckled.

"Whoa, Tessa?" Alaric's voice asked as he moved to hold her up, "Are-are you alright?" He asked as he helped her into his apartment She was gasping in breaths as she felt her lungs fighting to expand for air, that's when she realized she was holding it, her breathing was shallow like she was building up for something.

"Tessa, what-what happened? Was it Klaus?" He asked as he laid her on the bed, he couldn't see any visible wounds, but that didn't mean anything when it came to vampires, they healed quickly. Alaric assumed it was the work of magic. "What can I do?"

"It hurts." She gritted out between her clenched jaws as she felt the pain redoubling. Tessa could hear distant whispering again and knew this was a banshee thing. She glanced around with her half-lidded eyes looking for the spirit of another banshee but found none.

"Talk to me, Tessa!" Alaric said louder now.

That's when her breathing stopped suddenly and a scream ripped from her throat again. It was different from what it was at her father's. The last scream was almost forced out of her by the banshee spirit she'd come in contact with, but this one had built from within. Tessa felt Alaric pull away flinching to cover his ears. She sat on his bed now, the force of her scream had jerked her body upright, her breathing was labored as a sudden clarity overtook her. In the quiet that followed, she knew that the next death would be soon, by the end of the night.

Alaric sat up from the floor he fell to, he looked over the side of the bed at her, his mouth hung open in shock from what had just happened, but before he could utter a word Tessa spoke, "Someone is going to die tonight." Alaric was taken aback by her words, but stood up from the floor and sat beside her.

"How-? When-? What-?" He began.

"I don't really know much about what just happened. I'm relatively new to these abilities, they kind of strike when they want to. I-I'm a banshee." She told him, her voice soft, and hoarse from the screaming.

Alaric stared at her not knowing what to say, vampires, werewolves, witches, and now banshees? He thought to himself. "I-. I don't-."

"Me neither; I didn't even know what they were until today when I found out I was one." She cut him off, her shock was still there, she'd come here to discuss the chance of her getting a deed to a house put in his name, but it seemed the supernatural had other plans.

"I know what they are, but-but, I thought they were supposed to be ghosts, not vampires," Alaric told her, she felt his shoulder brushing against hers from their proximity.

Tessa nodded at his words, "Ye-yes, they are, but they aren't human spirits, apparently they are the spirits of fairies. Warning people of their impending death."

Alaric stared at her, and Tessa felt her anxiety rise. So she stood quickly pulling away from the dumbstruck man.

"I'm sorry, fairies?" He asked her.

"I know how it sounds, I was literally in your position this morning when my father told me they were real, but I-I met one today. A fairy."

Alaric stood now walking over to the cabinets in his kitchen and pulled out a glass bottle of whiskey. "Okay. Sure. Fairies. Why not?" He asked as he took two glasses out, and poured a drink for himself, and Tessa. "I've already been having a really rough day, so I needed this anyway."

"So does you being a banshee mean that you were a fairy? In life?" He asked as he capped the bottle.

Tessa bit her lower lip, her mind working to think of the only person that death seemed to follow in this town- other than herself, was Klaus. She hadn't wanted to go back to the mansion today, but with the impending warnings of death, it was the only thing she could think of to stop whatever looming death there was. "You alright?" Alaric asked her as he walked over to hand her the glass.

Tessa nodded, "Yeah, I-I guess. My mom was a fairy according to my dad, but she-uh-she's dead."

"I'm sorry," Alaric said sitting beside her.

"So, your father's I town then, huh?" Alaric asked. "The man who holds the only remaining white oak hostage from Klaus."

"And, Elijah." Tessa filled in as she took a drink from the glass now.

"Elijah? Isn't he dag-?" Alaric asked feeling more, and more confused.

"Nope." Tessa cut him off. "Klaus received the coffins from Damon, and Stefan last night, and upon his return home with them Elijah made his presence known. Klaus has yet to dagger, and box him back up."

Alaric nodded as he took a long swig from his glass. There was an air of awkwardness between the two of them, and Tessa didn't like it. "Are you okay?"

"Uhm. No? I was made aware of a rather disturbing fact today. I have reason to believe a friend of mine is a serial killer, I tried to look for anything proving a shred of innocence, but I-I'm not finding anything that clears the guilt." Alaric stood and moved back to the bar like table he had. He was filling his glass again.

Tessa wasn't sure what was going on, but if there was a serial killer on the loose than that would explain why her feeling of dread was still twisting in her gut. Seems like she was feeling her banshee powers because the killer was striking more frequent, twice in one day?"

"Did you go to the police?" Tessa asked softly. Alaric turned to look at her from leaning on the lifted table.

"Yeah." He nodded. "It was hard but necessary."

"I don't think that's stopped them." She told him seriously. "Not with what just took place moments ago."

"We'll know more tomorrow."

"No, Alaric. Someone is going to die tonight. That's why I screamed the way I did. It-It comes with being a banshee. It serves as a warning of death. Although, it- it could be Klaus too…" Tessa trailed off. "Were the other murders-?"

"No, they weren't done by any vampire. Whoever the serial killer is, they're staking the victims as if they were vampires." Alaric explained.

"Sounds human, or- a hunter?" Tessa said as she finished her glass and put it on the tabletop. Alaric offered her another glass, but she refused it not wanting to end up a tangled mess in the bedsheets with him again. She had work to do tonight if she intended on preventing a death from Klaus.

"Look," Tessa sighed as she turned to face Alaric fully now. "I didn't- I didn't come over to talk about anything supernatural with you, I know you want to help, so I came to ask if I'd be able to get a house, and put your name on the deed, that way-."

"You'd be safe from Klaus."

"But, it would be dangerous. He-he could just compel the paperwork to find out whose name is on the deed, and he'd come after you." Tessa explained quickly. Alaric paused throwing back his second glass before moving closer to Tessa.

"I said I wanted to help you, didn't I?" He asked, his hands touching her arms as he pulled her close, almost protectively. She smiled now looking up at him, she could feel her body relaxing with him, in ways she had never felt before. She felt her guard dropping, she was unquestioningly comfortable with Alaric. It was new territory for her, and as much as she enjoyed it she didn't want to risk his life.

"I'd ask someone else, but the vast majority of people around here are ones I don't know, and I-I- well I don't know you very well, but given that we-."

"Slept together." Alaric cut in, she felt his hands on her arms tighten slightly. She was unsure if she'd wanted to bring it up, but he had for her. Bluntly. She glanced up to find him with a slight smirk on his face.

Tessa chuckled uncomfortably, "Well, yes." Alaric pulled away suddenly as he moved back to pour himself a drink. "You know, you never told me your-."

"I'm 21." She told him. She remembered his hesitation, how he'd rebuffed her advances at first, but in the end, his last-ditch effort was when he'd told her he was 33. She saw his shoulders visibly relax at that. It was still a significant age gap, but at least she wasn't under 18.

"I'm not nearly as young as I look. Before I was dragged out here, I was going to college in Chicago." Alaric turned with his eyebrows raised.

"A college student by day, and a hunter at night? How very Buffy of you." He told her with a laugh.

"Yeah, well Buffy did it better, clearly. I was turned." She replied to him moving to grab the bottle of whiskey and pour herself a second glass. There was a lull in the conversation as Alaric watched her throw her drink back quickly, "You drink like, you're older than 21." He acknowledged.

Tessa laughed at that, "Yeah well, if I could kill a vampire by myself at 16, then I thought I could handle alcohol." Alaric eyed her up and down, he could see how relaxed she was in comparison to when she'd first entered his apartment. He didn't know what it was, but something about this girl made him want to be around her more. He hadn't felt like this since Jenna passed, he didn't think he'd feel like this ever again, but he she was. He knew he probably shouldn't have, but without convincing himself out of it he leaned and pressed his mouth to hers.

"I want to help you, I'm in danger because I'm taking care of Elena, and her brother Jeremy, I'm in danger just by being around Damon, I'm in danger simply for being a resident of Mystic Falls, I'm already in danger, so let me make it be for something worthwhile." He told her softly once he pulled back.

Tessa stared up at him, her body still, and unmoving. Alaric thought that maybe he'd crossed a line at the shock on her face, but within second her arms were around his neck and pulling him in closer to her, she knew she shouldn't. Her mind was screaming not to get close to him. She'd already threatened his life by having his name go on the deed to whatever house she picks, but to be with him in a romantic way was laughable. Anyone close to her gets killed, her mother, her sister, and Robbie. Tessa's arms tightened their hold on him as she thought of Robbie.

Alaric's arms went around her waist as he pulled her body flush against his. Tessa groaned into the kiss knowing she couldn't stay, she got her answer from him, she should have left by now. "Alar-."

"Just Ric. Please." He muttered as his mouth moved down to her neck.

"Alright, Ric. I-I have to-." She moaned softly as his hands the hand at her lower back trailed up slowly and slid into the underside of her red hair. Ric moved his mouth back up to her own as she crushed her lips in his.

"Ric, please. I have to go." She told him pulling her head back from him.

"You're going to go do something dangerous, aren't you?" He asked her. She nodded with a shrug.

"I guess Buffy and, I are similar like that." He chuckled shaking his head, "I'm going to go see if I can prevent a murder- with you having gone to the police, I'm sure your friend will be a bit preoccupied, and if it isn't Klaus, well… then we'll have to figure it out."

"Why don't you-,"

"No. Ric. Just no." She told him as she turned towards the door. "Thank you for agreeing to help, but I'm not going to parade you in front of Klaus who already wants an excuse to kill you."

"Not with this," Ric told her holding up his ring.

"What-?"

"It brings me back. If I'm killed as a result of something, or someone supernatural, it will bring me back in a few hours tops." Tessa nodded her eyes staring at the ring hard.

"Every time?" She asked him. The dread feeling was back, and almost painful.

Alaric nodded, "It's from Elena's ancestors, bewitched or something from centuries ago."

"Elena? How is she-?"

"Alive? She's a doppelganger, the girl you saw the night of Klaus's party was Katherine- her vampire doppelganger." Tessa nodded still not really getting it, but nodded and moved towards the door.

"I better get to Klaus-." She had turned to say goodbye only to find her mouth covered once again.

"Be careful. Stay safe. Otherwise, I may not have to put my name on any deed." Tessa smirked as she moved out of the apparent, her twisting dread seeming to redouble once she left Alaric. Within the hour she stood outside Klaus's mansion.

She walked in and heard voices talking in the other room, following the sounds she was surprised to see Klaus, and Stefan, not at each other's throats for once. Klaus stood in front of the lit fireplace, he had been talking to Stefan, Tessa watched as Klaus called over one of the help he'd compelled, and began to drink from her. Taunting Stefan's ripper tendencies. Before she knew it the woman was dropped, hard

"Good evening, Tessa." Klaus greeted coolly wiping up some of the blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He sucked the blood off his thumb quickly.

"Klaus." She greeted, she wasn't sure which person here would die, but she had a safe bet it wasn't the two originals. She eyed the now dead woman on the floor.

"Oh, sorry, love. Did you want some, we still have the girl in the other room. Stefan turned in his chair to look at her, she saw his dark eyes widen slightly. Tessa fixed him in his chair with a glare, she was growing to fear him less, and less the more she saw him, he killed her and yet here she was in the house potentially attempting to save his life. Holding her head up high she entered the room ignoring Stefan entirely.

"Did you find a house today, love?"

Tessa shook her head as she moved towards the alcohol, she had wanted to keep a level head, but she knew it would be impossible with Stefan staring at her, her fear was manageable, but not in his presence. "I could just as easily compel you one-."

"I'm fine, thank you, Klaus." She told him. Her demeanor was cold, and she could see that it had pissed him off. His emotions were so easily swayed, it was annoying to have to keep up with him, and his mood swings. She thought about Alaric and how laid back he was, about his willingness to help her while asking for nothing in return.

"Tessa, sweetheart, I've been rather gracious with you today-." Klaus began, but Tessa heard the whispering again. It was louder than it had been the past two times she'd heard it. Tessa jumped looking around, maybe it was Elijah? She asked herself. He didn't seem the type to murder without reason, but he and Damon were missing when she'd entered.

"You-You okay?" Stefan asked as he saw a dazed look on Tessa's pretty features. Klaus paused in his rant to turn and look at her, his eyes took in the unfocused eyes and tilted head. It was as if she was listening to something only she could hear.

"Tessa?" Klaus asked sharply. At her lack of a response he reached for her, that's when the lights flickered and she opened her mouth in a blood-curdling scream, Klaus moved closer but when his hand made a grab for her arm Tessa had vanished on the spot. Tessa opened her eyes to find Matt standing before her.

He looked terrified, "Whoa." He said his eyes taking her in. "Tessa?" He asked flashing the light upon her face. Her eyes were focused on the sight beyond him, her heart hurt from the sight of it, and her hands shook with rage. Alaric laid up against a doorframe, and Elena knelt beside him, in her hands was a knife plunged into his heart. There was so much blood, on the floor, on Elena, all over him. She'd been so busy searching for the cause of her banshee screams, that she'd ignored the biggest clue was that it happened at Alaric's. She could've stopped this, but she convinced herself it was Klaus that would cause the death, so she'd raced over only to be teleported back to Alaric's side.

Tessa simply reacted, she snapped and made a move to attack Elena. Her fangs were bared, and her eyes changed, and she growled moving forwards to attack only to have Matt leap between the women. Elena screamed as Tessa leaped in her direction, but Matt tackled her to the floor.

"You killed him!" Tessa screamed, her glare moved from Matt to Elena.

"He will come back!" She shouted back. "Who are you anyway?"

"It's Tessa. That vampire-vampire hunter, remember-?"

"Klaus's minion?" Elena cried out immediately on the defensive.

"She's not a hybrid, she's not sired to him. She was trying to save us that night, remember?"

"I'm working to get out from under him, with Alaric's help. Seeing as how you killed him that might be difficult." She growled out the last part with a glare in Elena's direction.

"He's not dead!" Elena shouted standing up and hovering over where she and Matt were. "He has his ring." It clicked in Tessa's mind. She remembered Alaric holding up his ring as she left him at his apartment, but she'd been so distracted by the ominous feelings, whispering and the banshee business that she'd only been half paying attention when he'd explained it. She didn't think she could handle being a banshee with all the cryptic messages. It was only causing frustration on top of everything else.

"How-How long until he wakes up?" Tessa asked pushing Matt away from her as she moved in closer to Alaric.

"I don't know." Elena said before walking off. "How-How are you in my house? You didn't get an invitation, did you?" Elena asked as she returned with a washcloth, Tessa took it from her and began wiping off what blood she could get to.

"I-I'm not sure exactly." Tessa admitted, "I'm not just a vampire, apparently I'm a banshee. Hence why I just appeared upon the death of Alaric. Maybe it's that part of me."

"A banshee?" Elena asked with her eyebrows raised. Matt exchanged a look with her. "You mean like the wailing woman, and all that?"

Tessa nodded her eyes not leaving Alaric as she finished cleaning the blood from his face. "I guess," She answered absently. Elena watched the way the girl looking, not much older than her, stared down at Alaric. She remembered her from senior prank night- which felt like forever ago now. It was like witnessing a totally different person, the tender way she helped Alaric reminded Elena of what Stefan and, her had been months ago.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	15. Human Emotions

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you.**

 **Okay all! Thank you all for your views, and reads. This chapter kind of takes place in between episodes 13 and 14. The day where the Originals send out their invitations has yet to come so the next chapter should be the ball. I've yet to finish my rough draft of it yet, but it will be up soon thank you all for your reads, I am genuinely appreciative of every one of them.**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after the woman in the cover photo who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark, and her father, Charles is inspired by the actor Michael Fassbender. Just incase anyone was curious.** **Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 15: Human Emotions  
**

"I can help you, Ric," Tessa whispered harshly, once the doctor left. "Please. Just let me, sign yourself out, and we'll go." Alaric was seated on the bed in the hospital room. Elena had insisted that he get looked at in case the ring hadn't healed all, which Tessa thought was stupid on account of the ring bringing him back from death. Tessa never left his side, partly out of guilt that she couldn't stop his death, and partly because she wanted to help him like, he helped her. She wasn't done though.

"Tessa. I'll be fine here." He told her with an exasperated sigh.

"You're not safe here, Ric. Whoever stabbed you could very well do it again. Even in a hospital." She pointed out, her annoyance growing at his stubbornness.

"Alright, alright." He said holding up his hands defensively, the hospital had given him a set of clothes to changes into given the ones he'd arrived in were soaked in blood, Elena explained that there'd been an attacker to the doctors, and so her and Matt had to talk with the cops, and file a police report.

"They attacked me at Elena's house, where else would we-." He began as he moved to get off the bed.

"Your apartment, obviously," Tessa said grabbing the clear plastic bag that his bloody clothes were in. "You know I'd feel better if you just watched over Elen-."

"I can assure you she's already spoken to Damon, and he's got it covered." Tessa cut him off again as she helped him move. The ring may have brought him back, and his injuries were no longer life-threatening, but he was still walking injured. She paused before the door and turned to face him.

She bit into her wrist allowing her eyes to shift to her 'true face' she extended her arm to him as her face returned to the fair, sky blue eyed normal face Ric was used to seeing. He slid his hand to her wrist gently moving it toward his mouth. Tessa breath caught as he pressed his lips against her skin lightly and took what blood she offered. She felt him sucking at the skin of her arm, and it brought about thoughts that shouldn't be allowed about the man that was just stabbed, twice, an hour ago. As he drank, their blue eyes remained locked on one another. Tessa felt the sensual energy sparking in the room, and fought her urge to jump him right there. Ric released her arm as his eyes looked at her, she could see the gears turning in his mind, but his face wouldn't betray any emotions to her.

"I-I'm just gonna go check out of here, alright? I'll meet you outside." Tessa groaned to herself as she realized her car wasn't here. It was back at Klaus's before she magically banshee-teleported into Elena Gilberts house. She knew she'd have to get something, and the only two options, were Klaus or her father, neither of which she wanted to speak to at the moment, but she called her father anyway. After explaining the situation, he agreed to let her borrow his Chevrolet Silverado. She promised to drop it off after retrieving her own car, her dad had asked her if she was still going to be house hunting, and she'd told him yes, that the person agreed to have their name on the deed. With that matter settled Tessa hung up and turned to meet Alaric inside.

"Hey, you alright?" She heard him ask with his brow furrowed.

"Yeah," She nodded as she met him in the vestibule of the hospital, "I just-uh- didn't take my car to Elena's, so my father is gonna come by with his truck for us to use. How're you feeling by the way? Are you up to driving?" She asked.

Alaric's eyebrows turned down more confused at her question, "I mean, yeah, I'm alright now, thanks to you."

"Good, because I'm gonna have you drive my car back to your place, you good with a standard?" Alaric nodded as he leaned forward and took the plastic bag with his bloody clothes in it.

"Uh, Yeah." He said sounding almost offended at her question. She chuckled as the began to walk out together.

"Hey!" A shout came from behind them, Tessa and Alaric turned to see a dark haired woman speed walking out of the hospital with a rather angry expression. "Where do you get off accusing me to the police? If you think I did something, I'd have thought you would come to me." Tessa glanced over at Alaric confused.

"Oh no." She heard him mutter under his breath.

"Is this your 'friend'?" Tessa asked wearing a smirk as she watched Alaric look more and more uncomfortable the closer the angered woman got.

"Yep."

The woman finally got close enough to be within talking distance, and she exploded, "The cops barged into the surgery I was just in for the last 6 hours, Alaric!"

"6 hours?" He asked with a wince.

"Not the point!" She yelled, "I'm a doctor! Not a murderer!"

"Dr. Psycho seems to fit nicely," Tessa muttered more to herself but received a look from the arguing woman nonetheless.

"I'm sorry, who're you?" The woman asked her frustration boiling over.

"Tessa, Alaric's friend." She answered with a smile as she extended her hand. The woman stared at it only for her glare to shift up to Tessa's face.

"Another one of your friends, Ric?" She asked him. "You're a vampire, right?" Her expression was full of scorn.

Tessa's smile fell instantly as she dropped her hand, "Seems if you're looking for the real monster here, Ric. You're befriending them all." With that, the woman click-clacked her way back into the hospital. Alaric sighed with an eye roll.

"I don't really blame you. She seems the type." That's when Tessa spotted her fathers beast of a truck pulling into the parking lot, a Toyota Prius following close behind. Paige. Tessa thought angrily remembering the way the women had dismissed her just that afternoon. She sighed as she faced off with her father.

"Thank you." She said softly as he walked up to her and Alaric and held out his keys.

"Anytime. Seriously, I'm trying to be there for you as much as I can. Now." He told her, his chestnut eyes meeting her oceanic ones.

"Yeah, well you could start with the white oak." She grumbled taking the keys from him quickly. Charles glanced at Alaric with wide eyes. Alaric raised his eyebrows as he muttered an awkward goodbye following Tessa to the truck.

"C'mon, Tessa. You can't-."

"I'm allowed to be mad about this." She snapped slamming the door to the driver side of the truck before getting into it, "I've kept my mouth shut about a lot of secrets this family has, before we even knew of your existence before you came back. I've done right by mom, by Harper, and they got killed. I watched them both die- mom, at my own hands! I'm a bigger part of this than even you are now, dad, but yet somehow, I'm the one that still can't be trusted." At her last part, she glanced behind him at Paige in her car. "Think about that." There was a moment of silence between the father and daughter before Tessa muttered angrily, "I'll be bringing your truck back in a little bit, okay?" With that that she turned away and climbed into the cab with Alaric in the passenger seat.

"So, family troubles?" Alaric asked as she pulled out of the parking lot without a glance at her father who was now getting into the truck.

Tessa groaned, "Yeah, he isn't cluing me into the whereabouts of the white oak grove- his little fairy friend thinks it's better to keep it under wraps until I move out of Klaus's home and begin ingesting vervain on a regular basis."

"Well," Alaric began with a grin that made Tessa bite her lip, "She's not wrong."

"Hey!" Tessa cried out with a slight glare, "You're supposed to be on my side." She replied as she turned towards Klaus's mansion.

"How 'bout you stay at my place?" He suggested, "At least until you get your own. I have a supply of vervain that I'm on already, it's killing two birds with one stone."

Tessa glanced towards him from the road, "Are you- Are you sure?"

Alaric nodded, "Yeah, I know we just met, but- I don't know. I want to-."

"Help me. Yeah, I got it." She shrugged off indifferently.

"No." Alaric said slowly, "If you'd let me finish; You'd have been surprised to hear that I want to get to know you more." Tessa looked at him as they pulled up to the mansion. She cut the engine and turned to look at the man seated next to her. He grinned at her, his previous injuries were healed with the help of her vampire blood coursing through him. A slow smile crept over her lips as she leaned over and pulled him in by his shirt, her mouth pressed against his in a slow kiss. Their lips moved smoothly together, Tessa's tongue slipped out as she deepened the kiss. As a result, she felt Alaric's hands go around her waist and pull her closer to him. She sighed softly as her body came into contact with his, she felt her muscles relaxing against his body, while her heartbeat picked up its pace. Her hand twisted in his soft locks of hair atop his head, it moved up from around the back of his neck. Her other hand rested on his arm that locked around her waist holding her tightly. His soft groan sent electricity coursing through her entire being. Her body began to heat up under his touch, she could hear the sound of his hear the sound of his heart rate picking up in his chest. His hands previously on her waist wandered up her back to her neck, while his other hand slipped under her open sweat jacket and got a grip on her hip. She gasped feeling his warm fingers against her bare skin. She tilted her head upwards breaking the kiss.

"Not-not here." She told him, her voice was soft. She pulled back by millimeters. Alaric's eyes locked on hers and, he nodded in agreement. Tessa let her eyes look at his face again, taking the stubble on his chin, his tanned skin, and his hypnotizing blue eyes. She didn't want to leave him out here, but she really didn't intend bringing him into the danger zone with her.

"I'll be right back. Okay? Please, just get in my car." She told him as she slid the keys out of her black sweat jacket pocket and put them in his hand. "It's the Altima." She remembered when Klaus had brought it back from Chicago without her knowledge. It was during the two days she'd spent locked away in her room after her humanity was returned to her from her father's surprise visit.

"Wait, I-."

"You are not coming in with me." She told him, her tone was clear that it was final. After seeing him the way she had tonight, and knowing she could have prevented it; she was adamant that she was not going to watch it again. She would do everything in her power to prevent him from dying-whether he came back or not was irrelevant to her. She slipped out of the truck and moved across the lawn entering the house. It was eerily quiet, but she wanted to be in and out without making much of a fuss about it. She had a feeling Klaus would generally oppose her leaving to go to Alaric's given the way things went the last time they'd been together.

Tessa moved into the bedroom she'd been staying in only to find someone in it, "Oh-oh, I'm sor-. Rebekah?" She asked confused.

Rebekah turned with a slow lazy smirk appearing on her features, "Hello darling. I honestly didn't think you'd still be in Niklaus's life. I was pleasantly surprised to find that wasn't the case." She said her hands sliding across Tessa's wardrobe in her closet.

"Well-well, I just came to get some things. I'm leaving."

"Oh? Have you spoken to my brother about this?" Rebekah asked turning around to face off with Tessa now. She was wearing jeans and a fringed suede jacket that Tessa vaguely recognized.

"Well- well, he knows I've been planning on moving…" Tessa trailed off purposely dodging the question.

"It surprises me that Niklaus would just let you go so easily, given that he filled us in on your father's potential white oak grove. Releasing you would go against everything that Niklaus is, unless… he intends to keep you within arms distance." She was more talking to herself at this point. Tessa had thrown one of her bigger sized purses on the bed as she tossed whatever articles of clothing could fit.

"I'm compelled to the town of Mystic Falls," Tessa muttered angrily. She'd wanted to go hunting for the location of the white oak. Her father had mentioned it was in Canada somewhere, but Tessa was stuck here.

"Ah, yes. That does make sense, he's different from what he's been in the past, and I can only assume that difference has to do with you." Rebekah continued on as she moved closer to Tessa, her lips still turned up into a slight smirk.

"What do you know that I don't?" Tessa asked her bluntly, she was never good at beating around the bush; the mind games that girls play wasn't Tessa strong suit.

"Rebekah. Please leave." Klaus's voice said from behind her. Tessa stiffened now, she watched as Rebekah headed out the door pushing over a picture Tessa had of her mother and sister to the floor as she walked by from the closet. "Sure thing, Niklaus."

"Apologies, love. My-my siblings are a tad cross with me right now." He said as he closed the door to the bedroom. Tessa turned slowly to look at Klaus as he moved towards her. "It-it's probably best if you didn't-."

"I was leaving anyway, Klaus," Tessa told him as she moved now towards the closet to grab odds and ends of clothes to pack up.

"Where're you going?" Klaus asked her suddenly, "I assume you found a house."

Tessa shook her head, "No? Where are you staying then? You've made friends in Mystic Falls, have you?" Tessa licked her lips before opening her mouth to answer, only to have him cut her off.

Klaus stood directly behind her, "It's that Alaric guy, isn't it? I can smell his blood on you." Tessa turned now staring up at him with her brow furrowed in anger. "What happened tonight, Tessa? Where did you go? You just disappeared, I've been alive a very long time, sweetheart and I have never seen anything like that before."

She swallowed hard as she felt his hand brush down her face gently, "Don't," She told him softly.

"You've never minded when I touched you before…" Klaus trailed off his eyes going sharp.

"Please. Don't." Tessa saw his eyebrows twitch down, but his nonchalant façade was back in place expertly masking his emotions.

"So, you were just intending to leave then, no word, no anything? After all, I've done for you?" He asked as he turned away from her, his eyes falling on the bag laid on the bed. He was jumping subjects, but Tessa was glad to not have to explain her newly awakened powers to him, she didn't want him to get any ideas.

"All you've done for me?" Tessa asked incredulously.

"I've given you someone to hate for your transformation, for your mother's death- that way you couldn't hate yourself for it, I reunited you with your father, did I not? I've given you exactly what you've asked for, haven't I?" His voice was loud, she clearly struck a nerve with her last question.

"You didn't do any of those things for me, Klaus. Don't pretend that you care, the only thing on your agenda is what serves you." She told him taking a step in his direction.

Klaus pushed her back against the open closet door, she'd expected him to hurt her, to compel her, to do anything other than what he'd done. His lips were pressed against hers in a kiss she'd agonized over for weeks after it happened in New York. His hands were on her hips, gentle yet dominant in his grip. She felt him press his body against hers tightly and she would have been sucked in by it if she hadn't been so shocked it was even happening. She felt her eyebrows move practically up to her hairline, her lips were shocked into stillness as he continued to kiss her. His mouth turned down over her neck, "You. Make. Me. Feel." He muttered between kisses.

His voice broke Tessa of her dazed state as she pushed him from her. "What? No. I-I-. You can't-." She couldn't even form a sentence.

His stared at her, his eyes a striking blue color as they roamed over her appearance, he took in the red hair, the pale pretty face, her swollen lips from kissing her. Klaus had long tried to bury his emotions for her. It's why he'd attempted to act indifferent towards her, he tried putting distance between himself, and Tessa. He tried to hate her for everything she stood for. Her emotions, her families godforsaken good and evil rules. He tried to hate her for the threat her father posed to his family, but he couldn't. It was the way she was defiant towards him from the beginning, the way she was so set in ending her life, the way she grew into her abilities on her own. He loved the freedom she gave herself. He also admired the way she followed her heart, and lived to the fullest- emotions included, they didn't make her weak like he'd always associated them to. Tessa's emotions only made her stronger.

"You make me feel," He said quietly, fiercely, "and I don't like it. It is hard to have a heart when you've stopped so many others."

Tessa paused, "I-I'm sorry." She said softly, the weight of his words sunk in, she'd been denying his feelings for her the whole time under the guise that he was just using her for his army of hybrid's, but in reality she knew it back when he'd bought her that dress for the homecoming party, when he'd brought her car to her after her emotions nearly crippled her, how he saved her from herself, even this morning when he'd saved her from his hybrids. She told herself that it was all because of the white oak, but in reality, she knew deep down inside that he was growing attached to her.

"All you can say is I'm sorry? Is-Is this a game to you? Do you get off on toying with people's emotions? Human emotions that I've spent years upon years trying to deny, and in just a matter of months you've brought them out, love." As he spoke he took a step closer to her. "Now you're just going to leave, aren't you?" He asked. Tessa couldn't bring herself to look at him.

Tessa could still feel her lips tingling from his kiss. As much as she wanted to deny it she couldn't. He was there when she'd needed him when her everything in her life was ripped and torn from her. He was something solid for her to lean against, he was something violent, and fierce and most importantly unmoving. He was her constant in all of the many changes in the last months. He was something she hadn't realized she was depending on, but she knew she couldn't stay. She needed to get out of this house if she had any hope of helping her family, her father. Helping the innocents upon innocents that Klaus and, his family has slaughtered, helping in their demise.

"I-I have to go." She told him softly. She knew now that whatever he'd felt for her would keep him from killing her, just as she would be unable to be the one to kill him. With that, she pushed by Klaus grabbing her one bag off the bed and quickly made an exit from the mansion.

As she emerged from the gigantic house she was greeted by the sight of Alaric faced down on the cement sidewalk leading up to the house. A man stood over him, Tessa recognized it as Kol, the brother that had once been daggered in a box. "Alaric!" Tessa cried out as Kol placed a foot on his back, pinning him to the ground.

"Ah, and, who might you be?" Came his accented tone. Tessa glared up at him from her worried expression to Alaric. She took in his bloodied face, and the bite on his neck. She realized Kol had been out here with him for a while.

"I'm Tessa." She replied with as much contempt she could muster, "and, I suggest you let my friend go."

"Now why would I do that, darling? He was trespassing on my families property." He said Tessa saw the glimpse of recognition in his eyes when she'd told him her name so Klaus must've filled his siblings in on the current situation with the white oak. "From where I stand that gives me every right to do what I please with him."

"He wasn't trespassing, he was with me." She told him.

"Funny, you know I didn't see him enter the house with you," Kol replied, he removed his foot and made his way closer to Tessa leaving the disheveled Alaric lying on the walkway.

"Enough, Kol." A man's voice said from the door. Tessa turned to see yet another original brother. She hadn't met this one yet though. He appeared older, his long hair being a tell-tale sign of when he's last been out of his coffin.

"Just because you don't fancy a bite, doesn't mean the rest of us don't, brother," Kol said as he stared beyond Tessa to what she assumed was Finn.

"Let her go, perhaps she'll recall our mercy, and share the tale with her father." Finn stood with his arms crossed as if bored leaning against the open door into the house.

"Oh, stop taking the fun out of everything, Finn. You're such a buzzkill." He moved around Tessa to head inside, but muttered, "You're only sticking your neck out for her because she's a redhead, we all remember your fondness for them." Finn had gripped his younger sibling by the back of his neck and tossed him inside the house.

"Enjoy your night." He nodded to Tessa before turning in and, closing the door behind him. Tessa immediately raced over to Alaric.

"Are you alright?" She asked, her voice a higher pitch with worry.

He pushed himself up slowly, "Yeah, never better."

She pushed him up and helped back towards the cars. "What were you thinking coming to the door? Are you stupid?" She asked as she sat him in the driver's seat to her fathers truck.

"You were gone a while, I-I thought that maybe-." She shut her mouth when she realized he was going in to get her, his concern for her safety baffled her. He barely knew her, but he was so willing to put his fragile life on the line to protect her.

"Let's just get out of here, huh?" She asked him. He nodded in agreement, Tessa looked over and found that he drove her car up next to the truck.

He took her bag from her hand and moved over to get in the Nissan, "I'll follow you to your father's and, then I'll drive us to the loft, alright?" She nodded as she got in the truck.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	16. Dangerous Liaisons

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you.**

 **Okay all! Thank you all for your views, and reads, I am genuinely appreciative of every one of them. Just in case any of you are curious, I've included a what to google to get the visual of the dress that I've based Tessa's ball dress off of,**

 **a-line-v-neck-ivory-tulle-floor-length-cap-sleeves-split-side-prom-dress-with-appliques-**

 **The actual link wasn't working, but that particular part of it works out fine. It is the first three photos that show up under the images section. Thanks guys!**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after the woman in the cover photo who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark, and her father, Charles is inspired by the actor Michael Fassbender. Just incase anyone was curious.** **Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 16: Dangerous Liaisons**

Tessa had been in the shower, she walked out still towel drying her hair and paused upon seeing a shirtless Alaric standing in the kitchen, she smirked moving at vampire speed behind him. Her arms snaked around him causing him to jump.

"Oh hey." He chuckled out as he put his coffee down on the counter and turned to face her. "You got a letter delivered at the door this morning."

"I did?" Tessa asked feeling thoroughly confused, she'd changed her address just the other day, but she hadn't thought it would've worked that fast. Alaric nodded as he brought over the rather large letter, it was addressed to her in elegant cursive, calligraphy writing. There was no address however, which told her it wasn't delivered by the mailman. Whoever sent it was a bit over the top about the invitation. Tessa frowned opening the folded triangles; it was revealed to be sent from The Originals.

"What is it?" Alaric asked as he set down another mug for Tessa on the island in front of her.

"Please join the Mikaelson's this evening at 7 o'clock for a night of dancing, cocktails, and celebration."

"Hmm, fancy and, who's the Mikaelson's?" Alaric asked after sipping his coffee down.

Tessa turned to him with a confused expression, "The Originals. It- It's Klaus and, his family. You already had the pleasure of meeting Kol, and Finn. Now, we get to meet them all. At one place. Great."

"We could just… not go?" Alaric said, "I'm not much in the mood for giving out housewarming gifts to neighbors that try to kill me."

Tessa chuckled, "No, I'm pretty sure my father received one too. What with the Originals wanting to know if he has any more white oak." Alaric shrugged with a nod as he drank some more of his coffee. Tessa reached for hers and took a sip, she felt the burn of vervain, but it was getting easier; what with spending the last couple days here and drinking it regularly. The time she's spent at Alaric's has been great, he's had some studying of hieroglyphics or something from another country to do- but, he was emailed pictures, and studied them from his loft. He did the occasional check up on the kids over to Elena's but, other than that he spent a majority of the time with Tessa. She knew him better now than she could have imagined, it was like they'd been friends for years, everything was just so comfortable. Everything fit so well together. "We have to go to this, I've been out of the loop with my father for a while, so…" Tessa trailed off. "Now that I'm on a steady supply of vervain, and not residing in the Mikaelson's house," She held up the invitation quickly, "I see no reason to exclude me on the whereabouts of it."

"Well, you're not going alone," Alaric told her moving in closer. His face told her that it wasn't to be questioned, his protective demeanor caused Tessa to smile up at him.

"Good," I can only imagine how hot you'd look in a tux," Tessa told him with a Cheshire cat-like grin on her face as she eyed his bare chest before her.

"Oh just wait, you haven't seen anything yet." Alaric laughed out as he leaned in to kiss her, his hands roaming up her legs exposed from the towel she'd wrapped around her body.

"Mmmm," She moaned softly as his mouth moved down her neck. They surprisingly hadn't actually had sex since the night she was here, drunk and nearly broken from all things Klaus. She intended to change that today, and within seconds Tessa hopped up on to him her legs wrapping around Alaric's midsection. He caught her easily enough leaning against the island, his mouth moved up to capture hers and Tessa let her hands skim through his hair reveling in the softness of it.

She groaned feeling his hand holding on to her hip tightly, his other was at the crook at the back of her knee, she felt his hand skimming inwards slowly along the underside of her thigh. She was currently pressed against the cool counter by Alaric's body. The heat he was radiating only made her crazier. She felt his hands jump as he balanced her on the island to her chest where he'd untucked the towel allowing it to fall. She heard his slight intake of breath as his eyes moved over her body. She felt his body's reaction through the thin, sweatpants that hung low on his pelvis, her hand moved from around the back of his neck trailing over the expanse of his chest, and lower to the waistband of the sweatpants. She snapped the band against the one of the prominent V-shaped bones trailing down to where she really wanted to get at. He smirked knowing that was her signaling him that she wanted them gone, Alaric merely chuckled at her silent request. Before she knew it he scooped her up off the countertop leaving the towel to slip to the floor and he laid her back on his bed. He'd taken to sleeping on the couch since her arrival- much to her disappointment.

Tessa gasped as his mouth was quickly pressed over the hollow of her throat, he trailed down her body leaving searing kisses as he went. She gasped and groaned out his name as his warm hands grasped her hips and pulled her level to the edge of the bed. She felt his mouth move down to the end of her rib cage and her back arched instinctively as her hands fisted the unmade bed underneath her. What with her heightened emotions, and her growing need to feel him within her, she knew he needed to hurry up. It didn't take long for his mouth to skim, lower to the juncture between her thighs.

"Alaric, you don't have to-." A groan tore from her throat, cutting off her words. His name spilled from her open mouth followed by heavy breathing. Tessa gasped feeling him work at her with his mouth, her hands jumping to tangle in his hair.

"Alaric. Please." She gasped out when he threw in some hand action. "Oh, my god."

She felt him chuckle against her skin. She needed a release soon, or she felt as though she were going to explode. Using her vampire speed she pulled him up with her and tore the pants down his body before pushing him back against the bed. Quickly straddling him she sated her body's newly awakened hunger, with a loud groan at the feel of him. Tessa arched above him and, she could feel his hands roaming everywhere at once. Their bodies quickly set up a steady pace they worked at before their world was shattered into oblivion.

She groaned falling beside him, they'd gone for 2 rounds already, and she would be ready for a third in seconds- she had to admit vampirism had its perks. "So much for my shower, huh?" She chuckled out breathlessly as Alaric turned to face her with a grin. "God, you were right, I really haven't seen anything yet. That was amazing."

Tessa moved in closer to Alaric resting her head over his chest as her hand took to running over it, she felt the slight rough hair over his sternum, and then again in a trail just under his belly button that led down to her most enjoyed part of his body. She sighed feeling her body totally relaxed beside him. Alaric's sudden silence alarmed her so she pulled away looking up at him, "You alright?" she asked as her eyes took him in, one arm resting behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.

"Yeah, everything's fine." He told her slowly as his hand slid over hers reassuringly.

"Well, C'mon," Tessa said as she sat up knowing they had a long night of faking smiles and sucking up to the Originals to get ready for, she stood from the bed not bothering to cover herself. "We've gotta get up for real now. Seeing as how I have to take a second shower, why don't you help me conserve water by taking one with me?" Alaric grinned at her as he sat up watching her walk off into his adjoining bathroom. He shook his head out of amusement before quickly following after her.

Tessa huffed glancing at the clock on Alaric's rather extravagant stereo as she waited for his arrival, she had just finished her makeup and was putting on the dress she'd picked out, she talked to her dad who'd loaned her the money. She was surprised to find out his wealth had increased significantly over the last 15 years, she was unsure if she'd wanted to ask how given that she wasn't sure it was through 100% legal means, but she'd borrowed enough for the dress she'd had her eye on quickly slipping it on she moved to the mirror she'd also taken to buying considering Alaric's loft was missing one she could use to take in how she looked before exiting the apartment.

The dress was an ivory color, with cap sleeves and a deep V-neck, the bodice of the dress had a base layer of a pale nude colored see-through spandex- similar to that of tights with floral lace appliques covering up the sides and the back leaving the cleavage to show through the center. The long, flowy skirts were almost weightless as the many layers were made of tulle, a sexy split up the side of the skirt was almost invisible amongst all the layers. Tessa balanced well as she finished tying up her laces that wrapped around her ankles for her white heels. She glanced in the mirror and stared. Tessa left her hair in a half-updo, the majority of her orange-red hair hung over each shoulder as the top was twisted up in pretty rows across the back of her head, she'd used a probably a dozen bobby pins to keep it in place. The floral lace ran down slipped over the edges of the bodice to the beginning of the flowy skirts. If she'd had a tiara made of flowers, she'd have looked much like a fairy princess. Tessa smirked at the thought nearly chuckling aloud, that's when the door opened in a hurried fashion, "Tessa?" Alaric's flustered voice alone made her heart rate quicken.

She poked her head out the doorway from the bathroom with a smile. His ensemble mostly consisted of black, however, she took in the white button-up shirt, paired with the white buttoned vest underneath his black tux jacket. Her eyes slid up to the satin white tie he had fastened around his neck, and she bit her lower lip. She was almost considering forgoing the ball altogether, but she was already dressed and ready to go.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm cutting it close, but the guy at the tux shop just wouldn't stop-." Alaric was cut off mid-sentence as Tessa slowly moved out from the bathroom, she watched his eyes taking in her dress. His stare lingered on her thigh playing peekaboo through the slightly opened slit as she walked. "Whoa and, I thought I cleaned up nice." He said his expression still taking her in.

Tessa laughed as she moved closer to Alaric, "I'm just surprised we match." She said her hands splaying over his chest as she felt the satin of the tux vest under her fingers.

"I figured white would go with anything." He shrugged before leaning in for a kiss. She pulled back quickly noting that 7 o'clock was nearing.

"As much as I want to right now, and believe me this is hard. We don't have time, c'mon." With that they exited the loft and moved down to her Nissan Altima- it was a coupe so there wasn't a lot of room- she was thankful she didn't have to drive knowing her legs would probably be getting tangled in her skirts given the small space the car held. Within a few minutes, she found herself back at the Mansion her and, Alaric left in a hurry a few nights before.

"They have a valet?" Alaric asked unimpressed by how ostentatious the whole gathering was. Tessa inwardly agreed, but she was on the lookout for a Prius or her father's Chevrolet.

Once they got to the entrance to the mansion Alaric passed off the keys to the valet who was quick to get in and drive off to park it. Alaric offered Tessa his arm as they neared the doors, "You okay?" He asked her. Her silence caused him to wonder what she was thinking of.

"Yeah, I just-I don't know-wasn't expecting to be back here so soon." She told him. The fancy glace doors with black metallic ivy decorations over it were pulled open on each side by doormen. Alaric and Tessa stepped in looking around.

"Jeez, it really is a ball," Tessa muttered at how high class the place looked compared to how creepy it felt just a few nights ago. She wondered briefly how things would play out tonight, she hadn't spoken to Klaus since she left. She was hoping to remain under the radar tonight. A familiar face in the crowd brought a smile to Tessa's lips as Damon excused himself from speaking with an older woman and made his way over.

"Ric?" He asked almost unbelievingly, "Is that you?" Damon whistled suddenly, "I didn't know you had it in you to clean up so well. All though…" He trailed off his eyes moving up Tessa's figure, "I'd wear just about anything if I had a date with an angel too." Tessa rolled her eyes at Damon's form of flattery, "Although last time I checked Angels didn't drink copious amounts of bourbon and leave awestruck men in there wake after a one-night stand."

"There's the Damon we all know," Alaric said with a grimace to his vampire-fighting partner-slash-drinking buddy. "I was wondering when he was gonna come out. Is Elena here? I know she bought a dress for the ball, so I assumed she was coming."

Damon nodded as he gestured to what used to be the sitting room where Klaus held all his meetings, "She went to get a glass of champagne." Tessa turned to see Elena speaking with Finn, everyone's attention was gathered on the stairs when Elijah's voice rang out.

"Uh, if everyone could gather, please." There was a moment where the people in crowded mansion all huddled in the foyer to listen to the speech about to be given by the hosts. "Welcome, thank you for joining us," Elijah began once the hustle, and bustle settled. Tessa's grip on Alaric's arm tightened as her eyes fell on Klaus, he stood between Rebekah and Kol. She watched as his eyes searched the crowd stopping once they pinpointed her location. A slight smirk tilted the edges of his mouth as he eyed her body up and, down. The smirk faded quickly once his eyes moved to Alaric. Tessa felt that familiar surge of dread well up within her. She assumed it was from the look Klaus had sent Alaric's way.

"You know, whenever my mother gathers the family together like this, it's tradition to commence the evening with a dance." Tessa heard the nearby low whispering of Damon, and Stefan as Elijah spoke on, "Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourself a partner; please join us in the ballroom."

Tessa glanced at Alaric not wanting to dance, but she knew it'd look odd if they didn't. She also wasn't sure if she'd wanted to leave Alaric's side given the daggers Klaus had glared his way. "Shall we?" Alaric asked as he gestured to the ballroom.

"I suppose we shall." She agreed half-heartedly as her gaze returned to him from looking around the room for her father, perhaps he didn't get invited, or he did, and was choosing to dismiss it.

"With the dress, you're in, I wasn't giving you the option to pass it up." He smirked down at her.

He took notice of Elena being stopped by Damon from heading up after the Original witch- Klaus's mother. He nodded into the ballroom at Damon's quick glance in their direction. As they passed the pair, Tessa heard Damon's voice, "It would be rude, not to dance, you know." Tessa smirked at his smooth transition to a distraction.

Alaric and, Tessa entered the ballroom in line with the other couples on the left side of the room. The dance began slow, but moved on to more graceful movements, "Thank you." Tessa said looking up at Alaric. At the slight downturn of his eyebrows, Tessa continued, "For coming here with me. You-You didn't have to."

Alaric's face broke into a smile at that, "Yeah, well I didn't have anything better to do tonight. Pictures of hieroglyphics are only so much fun for so long." Tessa chucked his hand on moved to her waist and they spun around, "Not too mention, seeing you dressed like this is repayment enough." Klaus seemed to be moving nearer and nearer to Tessa and, Alaric. She took notice that he was here with a blonde girl she hadn't met yet.

Of course all that talk about feelings and her bringing them out in him yet here he is dancing with some girl. Tessa thought as she glanced his way. She couldn't help but overhear his conversation as she tried to focus on Alaric, "…Very well, onto more mannered subjects, like how ravishing you look in that dress."

Tessa inwardly rolled her eyes, Of course, he bought her the dress, that seems to be his go-to move. She thought of her and, Alaric as they turned around again spinning away from Klaus and his date, "You know, I'm impressed. I mean I assumed you could move, given that you're a trained hunter, but you're actually very graceful." Alaric commented.

"Yeah, well, you're lucky I'm a vampire otherwise I'd have stepped on your feet several times by now." Tessa joked. Alaric chuckled, as he glanced around leaning in closer to her ear.

"Even compared to the others it's as if your gliding." His low voice in her ear made her want to take him off the dancefloor and find somewhere secluded to pick up where they'd left off earlier.

"Well, thank you," Tessa said as they're arms pushed them far apart before he turned her into a spin, Tessa was spun over to the next guy only to be surprised to find Klaus's awaiting arms. She paused standing there with her hand placed on his shoulder, his on her waist and their other hands clasped. It was the most contact they'd had since the night she came here to leave. Tessa's eyes took in his relaxed face as he began to move with her along the dancefloor.

"You look divine tonight." He said suddenly breaking the silence. Tessa sent him a glare, but kept her mouth shut. "what is it, love?" He pressed on.

Tessa fixed him with a slight glare before opening her mouth, "You're date looks quite ravishing tonight," She quoted at him, "I assume that's your own handiwork you're complimentingc" She put as much sarcasm as she could into her statement before hoping to burn him with her glare.

Klaus grinned down at her now with an amused interest, "Jealous? Are we?"

Tessa scoffed at his accusation, "No, I'm perfectly happy where I am."

"I figured as much, sweetheart." He retorted as she felt his hand rub along her rib cage.

"With Alaric." She clarified for him sharply.

"If you say so." He continued to smirk at her. He spun her around pulling her back into his arms, he leaned in suddenly whispering in her ear. "Your father is to meet with Elijah and, I shortly. He's here now. Just thought you ought to know." His lips brushed her skin as he spoke and Tessa felt her body tense as a shiver went down her spine.

"I can't believe you." Tessa scoffed, "How can you give me a long speech about feelings, and emotions and then simply not acknowledge it again when I'm around you."

"You left love, not me. You made your decision, I'm simply accepting it."

"It's so unlike you." She retorted as he moved in closer to her, his hand reaching around to the small of her back now.

Klaus laughed audibly at her statement, "Yes, well you do that to me, I suppose. Besides, pretty soon it won't matter, you'll be able to leave Mystic Falls soon enough if this meeting with your father goes as well as expected." Tessa looked up at Klaus with a suspicious expression.

"What does that mean, Klaus?" She asked.

"If you do attend, I'd recommend not bringing your human boyfriend, things could get messy if he's there." Klaus finished cryptically as the song ended, and he moved away back to find the arm of his date. Tessa glared at him as she wondered just what the hell was going on. Her father hadn't mentioned a meeting when she spoke to him earlier.

She was calmed by Alaric's presence at her side, he held out a glass of champagne to her which she accepted and drank half of the glass in a gulp, "Whoa, hey, what's the matter?" Alaric asked her.

She looked at him with a hardened expression, "My father's here, and apparently having a meeting with Klaus and Elijah concerning the white oak. He failed to mention it to me when we'd spoken earlier."

"You're going to do something dangerous again, aren't you?" He asked her in a monotone voice. Tessa peeked over at him from quickly finishing her champagne glass before handing it back to him.

"Yep." She answered shortly before setting off to hunt down her father. Alaric placed the glasses down on a nearby table and followed her quickly.

After searching the last two rooms they'd entered, Alaric pulled Tessa to what was one of the many sitting rooms, her father sat on a loveseat with Paige, his arm draped over her shoulders as they spoke to the same older woman Damon had been earlier.

"Well, its very good to have you in town, Mr…." The woman trailed off.

"Dara. Mr. Dara, thank you, Mayor Lockwood. It is very good to be here." Tessa could tell her father was schmoozing up to the town officials. "My apologies if you'll excuse me." She said as she stood and walked out the way Tessa, and Alaric had entered.

Charles turned after Paige had, Tessa took in Paige's bright golden-yellow dress, seeing it to fit her fairy heritage. "Tessa." Her father greeted, almost surprised to see her.

"Dad." She acknowledged as she pulled Alaric with her to the couch opposite them. "Why didn't you tell me you were here? Why didn't you mention there was a meeting with Klaus and Elijah."

"Because Tessa, I don't want you involved in it." Her father countered before sipping down champagne from his glass. Tessa's eyes flicked to Paige, just waiting for her to chime in with an agreement of sorts to her father. Tessa, however, noticed her staring at Alaric for far longer than she was comfortable with. Tessa's hand found his as she held it tightly.

"Dad, I-I need to be involved in this." She attempted again.

Charles just shook his head, "I've been looking for ways to grow white oak for almost the last 15 years, Tessa. This is my fight, not yours."

"Well, can you at least tell me where the white oak is, I-I'm not living here anymore. Thanks to Alaric, I've been developing a tolerance to vervain as well."

Paige's eyes kept flickering between Tessa, and Alaric, so much so that Tessa finally asked, "I'm sorry, but what do you keep staring at?"

Charles looked at Paige now, but upon seeing her face he asked, "What is it, honey?" Paige took a breath, her blonde head tilting slightly.

"I'm-I'm not sure just yet." She muttered. Her eyes seeming to focus on Alaric again. It was clear in the look he gave Tessa that he was uncomfortable, but he didn't say anything. "She's a fairy," Tessa told him.

"Tessa!" Her father cried out, "You can't just-."

"No, Charles it's alright," Paige told him with her hand up as if fending him off. She stood suddenly and moved around the couch he and, Tessa sat on. "There's an aura about you. It-It's dark." She said as she came around again.

"Uhm…" Alaric said his brows furrowing in confusion, "I'm sorry?" He asked slowly.

"Please, just be careful," Paige told him wearing a worried expression. "Dark auras are never a good thing, it's a sign that bad things are ahead of you." Paige finished as she sat back beside Charles. A silence passed before Tessa dove right into the white oak again.

"Dad, please." She pressed him further. He glanced at Paige then back to Tessa, "Alright meet us at our house afterward, okay? We'll tell you everything you want to know." His eyes moved to Alaric who'd been silent for the length of the conversation.

"Who're you?" Charles asked gruffly, "I-I've seen you around Tessa before, but I've never gotten a name."

"Alaric, sir, Alaric Saltzman." Tessa had to bite her cheek to prevent from laughing at Alaric calling her father sir.

"Saltzman, huh? Like the Boston Saltzman's?"

Alaric was taken aback a bit, but nodded all the same, "Yeah, my-my family is from Boston."

Charles nodded, "I've worked with some of them before, they got out of hunting though. It's a dangerous business."

Alaric nodded with a chuckle, "Yeah, it is. I was a hunter for a while."

"Did your parents or grandparents get back into the business, then?" Charles asked. Alaric shook his head quickly.

"Uh. No, it-it was all me. My wife had been attacked, and so that was what started my quest so to speak."

"You have a wife?" Charles asked as he glanced between the couple.

Alaric began backtracking as Tessa silently enjoyed the moment, "N-no, I-. She died. Years ago." He finished lamely only making the conversation drown in awkwardness.

"He isn't married anymore," Tessa told her father confidently as her arm slid through Alaric's and pulled him closer.

"I see," Charles said his eyes flicking down to the couple's hands entwined together. "Maybe we should be looking at a bigger house, Paige." He muttered to the woman seated beside him. The older pair shared a knowing smile before the doorway filled with a figure- one of the people working the ball.

"The Mikaelson's will be performing one more toast tonight, you're presence is requested in the front hall."

The group stood and made quick work to exit the back room and move out to the entrance of the ball. Everyone was holding some sort of glass in their hand as they stared up at the woman on the second floor landing. The woman who created the five Originals. A glass was placed in Tessa's hand and the all too familiar pain exploded in her stomach, it was another banshee power thing. She grabbed Alaric's arm as she tried to steady herself. He helped move her to the far end of the room as Esther began talking, "Good evening ladies, and gentlemen. Waiter's are coming around with champagne,"

"Are you alright?" Alaric asked in her ear once they stopped walking as the woman above droned on.

"-Invite you all to join me in raising a glass,"

Tessa groaned softly as she turned looking around the room, her father and Paige were quickly making their way towards her.

"-with no greater joy, than to see my family back together as one."

"Tess? Are you okay?" Her father's voice questioned as she fought to pull herself upright with a quick nod.

"Cheers," Esther said as her glass rose into the air, and everyone followed as Tessa looked up and around she saw that dispersed throughout the crowd were women, corporeal, barely there spirits. Many of them. Tessa knew she wouldn't like what happened next.

"Oh no," Tessa said softly nearly dropping her glass. As everyone's glass was held in the air then moved to be sipped, the women screamed. Tessa groaned her glass falling to the floor as she took a step back gasping. Waves of power beat against her skull, she was fighting the urge to scream herself. Alaric acted fast as he took her under his arm and moved through the crowd of people staring at her towards the door outside.

"Tessa? Is-is this another-?" Alaric began once they reached the front walkway.

"It's a banshee thing." Paige's voice said. She stood by the door with a fierce expression on her face.

"How-How did you not react to all that screaming?" Tessa asked in between breaths. She felt as though her mind was muddled, and hazy. She needed clarity, she needed to drown out all the whispering she heard once the screaming stopped.

"She needs to scream," Paige said as she glanced at Charles. Charles passed off his glass to Paige wordlessly and picked his daughter up bridal style, "Wait." Alaric began as he moved in closer to Tessa. Her father was faster however and suddenly she felt a rush of wind only making her more disoriented, and confused. Her father set her down on the well-manicured lawn and Tessa fell to her hands and knees, the scream that tore from her throat was enough to cause dogs to howl, her father covered his ears as he was pushed back away from her at the supernatural force stemming from her scream. The force caused her back to arch as her lungs expanded Tessa's hands found themselves in her hair as she gripped it tightly from the feelings of dread, the sadness, the impending doom looming over this whole town. She screamed until her voice was hoarse. Tessa was left panting on the lawn, tired from the effort and, the energy she used to scream. Night was falling around her and the light's scattered about the lawn of the mansion flickered on.

"Tessa? Honey? Are you alright?" Her father asked, his voice seemed abnormally soft in comparison to all the screaming Tessa had heard. Her red hair covered her face as it came to her, a scream of that magnitude, with that many banshees. It had to be a powerful being's death they were foretelling- perhaps one of the originals' death, she gasped as she moved to stand only to find hands-on hers helping to steady her and pull her up.

"Are you alright?" The accented voice asked her as she came to find blue eyes looking into her own. What was the most surprising about them was the emotion contained inside: _concern_. Klaus was worried about her, clearly, otherwise, he wouldn't have come out here in search of her. "I heard your scream." He told her, "From-from the house. Sounded as though you were being murdered. I-I feared-." His wide eyes displayed the emotional turmoil he felt within, and Tessa was left standing there in shock.

A moment passed between them, and Tessa moved her hands away from his clearing her throat, "I-uhm. I'm alright. Thank you though." She told him closing whatever moment they were having.

"You've quite the pair of lungs, haven't you?" A new voice asked from beyond Klaus. Elijah. Tessa thought I guess we're rolling right into the meeting then, she thought begrudgingly. It snapped her back to herself as she moved away from Klaus.

"I-I guess so." Tessa shrugged not really wanting to divulge anything to Klaus, and his family. "I could swear that it was almost banshee-like." Elijah finished.

Tessa watched Klaus's eyes widen as he pieced it together, her appearing to Alaric the other night- whose got a track record of dying. Her screaming and, the sudden pulling away from him.

"You're-you're a banshee?" Klaus asked softly as his eyes moved over Tessa. She moved to take a step back, closer to her father. She felt safer with him compared to the alternative, "You can predict death?" He finished.

"We're here about the white oak," Charles said his voice determined to pull the conversation away from the direction it was headed in.

"Ah, yes," Elijah said as he clapped his hands together with a dazzling grin. "The white oak, you're to give us what you have."

"I have. Your brother has burned what remained in Amherst." Charles lied, Elijah glanced at Klaus, but he seemed distracted with Tessa still.

"I have it on good authority, you have more. I'll not have this meeting with you again, Mr. Dara. This is my one, and only attempt to come to peace through means of talking. If we do not have the all white oak by tomorrow night, you and your ancestors will sincerely regret ever planting them in the first place." Tessa hadn't expected the level of danger that was coming off of Elijah in waves, but she supposed if someone was threatening what remained of her family she would fight to the death to save them.

If Charles was surprised he didn't show it on his face. Her father's expression was a blank mask, he didn't give anything away. Tessa's eyes looked over Elijah and then moved over Klaus, both wore tuxes, along with her father, but Klaus wore a tux similar to Alaric's, his button up, vest, and bowtie was white underneath the black tuxedo and slacks.

"That's not how this works, this is not a talk of peace, this is you making demands, and threatening. Did your father not teach you how to handle things like civilized men?" The dark look Charles received from both men was enough for Tessa to have fear shoot through her body.

"I'm afraid when it comes to the safety of my family, I'm not inclined to talk things out," Elijah said as he placed his hand in the pockets of his slacks. Tessa moved as the two men began inching closer to one another. She stood in a wide, strong stance her hands pushing the pair apart, breaking up whatever pissing contest had started.

"Enough." She turned her head to look at Klaus but saw his eyes focused on the lean leg that showed through the slit in her skirts. "We shall talk amongst ourselves, and come back to you either with the location or with a counter offer tomorrow, alright?" She asked.

"There is no counter offer, Tessa love," Klaus said as moved to stand in front of Tessa, he leaned into her face closely. "We will have those stakes, even if we have to kill the last of what remains of the Dara line to get them." She hesitated confused at his sudden hostility

"Oh, you'll have to kill more than that." Charles began with a smirk, he'd had enough of dealing with the originals, he wanted them dead and gone now. "You'll have to go through an entire town."

"Then so be it." Klaus hissed as he glared at Charles. "We'll be sure to start with you." He finished his eyes shooting death daggers at her father.

"Klaus, no," Tessa said pushing him back, away from her father. Klaus grabbed her wrist and turned pulling her with him into the nearby woods. She heard her father shout after her, but his voice was quickly faded.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	17. All my Children

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you.**

 **Okay all! I know this chapter is long, but I wanted t o get everything I needed covered for the next chapter- which is going to be filled with drama, and fighting, and maybe even some more Alaric-love, I haven't quite finished it yet, so it might be a bit before it's updated. Thank you all for your views, and reads, I am genuinely appreciative of every one of them.**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after the woman in the cover photo who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark, and her father, Charles is inspired by the actor Michael Fassbender. Just incase anyone was curious.** **Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 17: All My Children**

"Klaus, stop." She tried pulling away as he slowed and continued to pull her deeper into the woods, "I said stop." She repeated as she halted her foot steps, the heels of her shoes dug into the dirt slightly. "Why're we out here?" She asked annoyed at him bringing her into the woods.

"To talk, freely, of course. Without the watchful eye of your father, my brother, or your date, or hell- not that she even cares, but my date."

"If she didn't care, I'm she wouldn't have accepted your invitation," Tessa said growing more irritated as she lifted her skirts and tried trudging back to the yard only to walk right into Klaus's arms.

"You really do look beautiful tonight, love." He told her, Klaus stood there with his hands clasped behind her back. "I was being very serious about that." He told her with a simple smirk. The almost full moon shone down brightly. She stared up at him, she wasn't sure what it was, maybe the moonlight, maybe it was him in a tux, or maybe it was his words that played over and over in her head from the last time they'd seen each other. 'You make me feel.' She couldn't get it out of her head, and when he leaned down to close the gap between them she didn't stop him. She groaned against his lips as his hand yanked her to his body. No, no, no Her mind screamed at her as her hands rested on the lapels of his jacket, she pushed him away suddenly. "No." The word came out of her mouth this time, and Klaus looked down at her with interest. She was done with his games, she was getting away from him. Which was what she'd wanted, right?

"No?" He asked her.

"No." She repeated, her voice stronger. "I'm with Alaric."

"Oh, c'mon." He said putting emphasis on the last word, "You can do so much better than that ordinary hunter besides, his age will prove to be a nuisance, no?" Klaus asked as he circled Tessa.

She scoffed her eyes following him in the dark as she spun on the spot to keep him in her sight, "You're the last person to be discussing age. Aren't you a little old to be chatting up a 21-year-old vampire?" Klaus chuckled as he held his hands up defensively.

"Seeing as how we're out here, there's something I need to tell you." Klaus stood still as he eyed her with interest suddenly. "As a banshee; I scream when I sense death coming, and apparently the more powerful the creature that dies, the more banshees there that will scream." Klaus stayed silent allowing her to continue, "Well, there were over a dozen banshees in your mansion while your mother made her toast today."

"And, you think…?" He trailed off for clarification.

"I think one of you is going to die."

"All the more reason for us to get the white oak from your family." He told her moving in closer.

"I don't even know where it is, Klaus." She replied as she stood her ground, which she was finding hard to do in these heels at the moment.

"Find out, Tessa." He suggested as he folded his arms across his chest. Tessa huffed, shaking her head as she turned and began walking away. "No. You do not get to walk away from me after this startling new revelation of yours." He stood before her, his face angry now. "I need to know who."

"I don't know, Klaus. All I know is it is one of you lot."

"That is the least helpful, I think you've ever been." He stood perfectly still, blocking her way back to the mansion.

"I can't help you any further than that, Klaus. I'm sorry." She made a move to walk around him, but his arm caught her around her waist and before she knew it she was pressed against him, her back at a tree. She grunted upon the impact. "This banshee business isn't specific enough yet, with practice it will change, but I'm not strong enough yet." She finished.

"That's a lie, and you know it." He told her, but she remained silent waiting for him to say something else. He sighed running a hand through his hair. "So let me get this right, you can tell me that one of my siblings or me, myself will die soon, but you can't tell me how, when or why? You also are aware that your own family holds the only weapon that could kill us, but you don't know the location of that as well."

"I was supposed to find out tonight, after the ball, but you had other plans- such as taking me out to the woods at nightfall." Klaus shut his mouth as he stared at Tessa.

"Were you to even know the location of the white oak, I have a feeling I'd be further down on your list of friend's that you would notify."

"Well, you don't exactly make it easy to like you," Tessa told him, as his body crowded closer to hers.

"I can change that…" He trailed off, his hand sliding up her ribs slowly. She'd had enough of his games. Anger coursed through her now as she pushed him away.

"No. Klaus, there's a difference between manipulation, and friendship; the sooner you learn that the better." As she moved by him, she leaned down to remove her shoes- hopefully to run faster through the woods. There was the sound of rustling clothes and, Klaus stood before her again.

"Tessa. Please, I can't lose my family." Klaus looked at her with wide eyes, she saw the vulnerability in them and, almost changed her mind, but then flashes of the people she loved throughout her life hit her.

"Says the man who killed the majority of mine." She retorted anger filling her voice.

"You've no one to blame, but yourself for that one. I'm afraid the only person I can take credit for murdering would be your older sister. I mean, look it; Damon murdered your father, but everyone else. Your mom, your hunter friends, that was all you." Klaus pointed out from behind her. Tessa paused as his words sunk in, she felt a stab of guilt as the memories rushed back in, plunging the knife into her mother's chest, ripping out the hearts of other members in her family, she could recall snapping necks of innocent people when she'd had her fill with blood. Tessa's heart raced at the memories of the hunt, her palms itched to lash out somewhere. Anger was easier, easier than sadness, than the heartache, easier than the guilt. She felt her eyes burning and knew she was mere seconds from tears slipping over, but she knew the words Klaus spoke were right. With that thought, she raced off not wanting to be anywhere near him at the moment. Racing through the darkened woods she heard the whispers again, she moved automatically half-dazed twisting and turning among the tree roots until she stood in a clearing at the edge of a river.

All was peaceful, the serene silence perturbed her and suddenly everything had changed. Her pained sounds broke the silence as she fought to breathe, her lungs weren't working properly. They burned from within and she felt as though she were drowning but her body was free of water. Her legs gave out as she fell into the softened dirt beside the river, she was coughing trying to get something up, but there was nothing within her to cough out. Gasping for air she fell to her back, the edges of her vision began darkening. In between gasps for air, she heard a faint voice.

"Tessa?" That's when everything blacked out around her.

She awoke in a warm bed, one she'd never been in before. She tried pushing herself up only to be held back by an arm casually thrown over her waist, she'd been relieved of her dress she wore last night, and had on what appeared to be Alaric's button up from last night. She groaned feeling her chest constrict in pain as she took a breath.

"Hey." Came the all too familiar voice upon rolling over she faced off with Alaric.

"Hey." She greeted her voice hoarse, and her throat sore. She laid there simply basking in the simple ease of his presence, she realized then how much she enjoyed it. Her eyes closed lightly and she moved gingerly in closer to him. His hand slid to her sides as he overlooked her.

"You okay?" Alaric asked her. She opened her eyes with a slight nod.

"I think so." She began, "It-Its' these Banshee powers, they really suck. I hate predicting death, let alone experiencing it."

"When I found you by the Wickery Bridge the last night-." He cut himself off looking away briefly before his gaze of deep blue returned to her. "I thought I'd lost you, I didn't know what happened if Klaus had-."

"He wouldn't kill me." She told him quickly.

"Your father didn't tell them the location of the-."

"I know." Tessa replied as she moved the covers from her and moved to sit up, "That's why they wouldn't. My father is still a threat to them if they were to give him the reason he could lash out, potentially killing off the entirety of the Original family once and, for all."

"It's a powerful position to be in," Alaric muttered. Tessa nodded at him from over her shoulder.

"Uhm-." Tessa began as she stood on slightly unsteady legs. "I don't have any clothes here, do I?"

"Actually," Alaric told her as he got up and moved to a duffel bag on a lounge chair across the room. "I took the liberty of grabbing clothes for you."

She smiled as he put the duffel on the bed. "Your dress was covered in mud and, dirt so…" He trailed off. Tessa moved quickly, she stood in front of him with an amused expression, "What would I do without you?" She asked before leaning up to press her mouth to his. As much as she hated it, her mind flashed back to Klaus. He'd kissed her last night, his lips were like velvet against hers, soft, and impeccably good at what they were doing. She forced her mind to steer clear of any thoughts Klaus, and focused on the loveable, down to earth man before her. Tessa felt his hand slide around her waist and down to her lower back as he pulled her against him. She groaned as her hands trailed up his chest and around his neck. The corners of his mouth tilted up at her attempt to deepen the kiss, Tessa's teeth grazed over his lower lips and he groaned his hands at her back gripping the button up she wore tightly.

He pulled back breathing heavy as he snagged his brown military jacket from the footboard and slid it over his blue pullover he wore against the cool airy day- It was growing colder as fall was beginning to wear off now. "Thank you." She told him as she unzipped the duffel and pulled out long black skinny jeans, which she quickly pulled on, and then worked the buttons free before stripping the shirt from her. She grabbed the dark green knit sweater he'd also packed and pulled it over her head. She snagged the pair of shoes and socks slipped at the bottom of the bag and put the charcoal anklet boots over her sock covered feet. She stood now, ready to get out of the bedroom. She had heard her father having a conversation with Paige so she knew that she'd spent the night in his house.

"You-your dad was worried about you. We all were. I was going to take you home, but your father insisted-."

"It's alright, Ric. I know how he can be." Tessa told him with a smirk as she ran her fingers through her hair making a half-attempt to tame the leftover frizz. She'd removed the up-do she had it on last night opting to let her hair do whatever today, "C'mon, you hungry?" She could smell food from below. Tessa entered the kitchen with Alaric, and her father glanced up at her from the counter where he was making breakfast for Paige. She sat at the table in the kitchen seemingly meditating.

"Uhm, what-?"

"Shh," Her father told her hurriedly. "You'll see." He finished.

Paige gasped as she seemed to come out of whatever daze she was in, "This town… It's so full of darkness." Tessa glanced at Ric sharing his weird look. "Good morning you two." Paige greeted cheerfully as she stood.

"Hungry?" She asked grabbing plates from the counter. Alaric nodded, moving in for a plate.

"So, what happened last night? One minute you stood between Elijah and me, and next thing I know… You and Klaus are gone. Into the woods nonetheless. The full moon is tonight, wolves are terrible things when they are out of control."

Tessa rolled her eyes walking around her dad to grab a blood bag. "I didn't exactly walk into the woods of my own accord, Dad."

"Well, you didn't exactly run back out of your own accord, did you?" Her father pointed out. Tessa sighed irritated at his unspoken suggestion. "Klaus wanted to know more about my being a banshee, and what with all the power emitted from the dozens of banshees there, I could only assume one thing, so I told him that he was going to have a potential death in the family." Tessa trailed off.

"Well, the Original family will be on high alert thinking one of their own is going to die." Her father said as he joined Alaric and, Paige at the table.

Tessa nodded in agreement as she poured the blood into a travel mug, "He was angry that I couldn't tell him more than that, he's convinced that it's the white oak we have that will kill one of them."

"That very well may be the case," Charles muttered as he took a drink of his cup.

"Dad," Tessa said in a warning tone as Paige called his name in a similar tone.

"I'm sorry? Don't we want them gone?" Alaric asked swallowing a bite of eggs.

"Yes, but we have to be smart about it." Tessa said taking a seat beside him quickly with a knowing looking to her father. "we don't need more people dying."

"We do have a plan in place." Paige jumped in, "It won't just be your father there. The oak grove is pretty much based in a town of Fae, they'll be walking into a trap." She finished with another bite of food.

"I'm sorry, you're going to meet them at the grove?" Tessa asked feeling shocked. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever-."

"The grove is already in danger of being found. We made the last that we could of the stakes, it's time to use the weapons we have. I'm not sitting on the back burner anymore." Charles said as he put the mug down with a stoic expression. Charles suddenly placed a small bag similar to the one Tessa had just taken her clothes out of upstairs. She wore a confused expression as she pulled the bag towards her, quickly unzipping it she was surprised to see a bunch of stakes. They were white oak stakes.

"You're going to get yourself killed," Tessa told him feeling the all too familiar presence of dread twisting within her again, this time though she didn't think it had anything to do with being a banshee. Paige paused in her eating.

"I doubt that; It's not just me and the Fae that wants them dead now." He wore an all too knowing smirk on his face. "I can't tell you more than that, but just know that by tonight they will be dead."

Tessa stared at her father thinking up ways to convince him out of whatever plan he was involved in, but she knew with the hatred he felt for Klaus it was a lost cause. Her father blamed everything on Klaus, the murder of his daughters, the murder of his late wife. Tessa was pretty sure he this was a revenge-driven course he was on and she could remember the way her mother was, it practically drove her insane.

"Or, you're going to be dead, and the last 15 years would have been for nothing," Tessa told him angrily. Her father remained silent and impassive. Paige, however, slammed her silverware down.

"Your father knows what he's doing, and he won't be alone. Just because you aren't there doesn't mean there's no one else. I've been by his side for those last 15 years, Tessa." With that Paige gathered herself back together and excused herself, clearly upset.

"She's also been feeling the stress lately, being in this town has affected her aura or what not. She is very emotional, and her mood swings around a lot." Charles said into the awkward silence that followed.

"Dad. Please. Don't do this." Tessa said ignoring his attempt to change the subject.

"You know we-we have a lot of others that can help-."

"I know very well who's in this town. The simple fact that you're friends with him is what's keeping him alive since I've become aware of his presence." Charles cut Alaric off quickly.

"Wha-?" Alaric was clearly missing something, but it didn't go ignored by Tessa, Klaus had informed her of Damon, and her father's history all those years ago. She hadn't put it together until Klaus said something, but she had freed Damon from the shed of torture in her own backyard 15 years ago, which was the same time her father was turned. He had been left on the porch steps for his family to find. Their mom should have dealt with the body immediately, according to the hunter's rule, they were supposed to be salted and burned to prevent any sort of supernatural come back, but it was before she was fully immersed in the life, so she'd had him buried- or at least Tessa had thought he was. Turned out to be an empty casket she'd visited back in Chicago.

"Dad-." Tessa began again, but her father held his hand up cutting her off.

"I'm going to be fine, however, on the off hand, I'm not-. I'm leaving you these." He nodded at the duffle bag before continuing. "I also have these for you too." He said reaching into his pocket and pulling out two keys. He handed one to Tessa, and the other he slid over to Alaric.

"I assume it's you that will be residing in the house with Tessa?" Charles asked his cognac eyes staring at the man before him. Alaric's picked up the key as he turned it in the light. Tessa smiled knowing her father had picked out a house for her. He was quick to explain that he'd handled the paperwork, and what not. He just needed Alaric to sign the deed on the house to make it official, he'd already called the agent, Debbie explaining they'd be by today to sign it.

"You wanna go now?" Alaric asked Tessa with a grin.

Tessa looked at her father with a shrug, "Ye-yeah, we could go now."

"Good, not to be rude, but we are going to be leaving soon. We have a flight to catch." Her father said as they all stood. Alaric grabbed the two duffel bags and brought them out to the car where he waited patiently giving her time to say goodbye to her father.

"There's no way I can convince you to not go through with this?" She asked not very hopeful.

Charles shook his head slowly, "No, honey. I-We've made up our minds. With the whole family awakened we can't risk it. They need to be put down- especially with how his hybrids are. They're dangerous, but a vast majority of them have been wanting to break the sire bond. They're unhappy with their forced loyalty. They have no free-will. It's-It's actually been sad to witness when I've trained the group, and with a little direction I think I've steered them in the right places for help." Tessa nodded remembering what little she saw of Tyler's slow descent into madness at Klaus's commands.

"Who're you working with? You said that you and the Fae weren't the only ones that wanted the Originals dead." Her father's unwillingness to tell her made her curious even more. Flashes of when all the banshees had screamed amidst Esther toast last night, "It's their mother, isn't it?" She asked. Charles nodded with a smirk. "She'll be working from here while we make due with what we have over there, with any luck they'll be put down tonight."

"How can you possibly be working together from that distance?"

"We're going to be the distraction while Esther works her magic from here in town. We figured it's far enough away, and-."

"I'm sorry, you're going out as bait?!" Tessa asked loudly. She knew her father was going to go down fighting because, technically, he already had- but, she didn't expect him to become a sacrifice.

"It's the only-."

"It's not!" Tessa shouted.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be. If all goes well, the Fae and, I won't have to fight for long- the siblings will revert to being human, and we'll have the upper hand."

Tessa knew deep down that the plan was stupid and flawed. She wanted to scream that Esther didn't have the best interest of her father at heart, but she knew it would be useless. Her dad made his decision, and he was sticking to it.

"I can't lose you again, I can't-. Not again. I'm not strong enough." She told him her voice breaking, as her eyes burned. It seemed as though she'd just gotten him back and now she was at risk of losing him. He wrapped her up in a hug that she hadn't felt since she was 6 years old. His arms wrapped around her and she rested her head on his shoulder while some tear slipped over her lower lids.

"You are." He told her simply. "You're a Dara, I know you are. Please. Tessa. Please understand. I wasn't supposed to have lived this long. I was supposed to have died 15 years ago. I'm just glad that this-this afterlife gave me purpose. It gave me a second chance, and not just at hunting, but a second chance with you. To be there for you when I hadn't. A chance to show you how much I've loved and missed you." His hand wiped at a tear sliding down her cheek once they pulled away, "And, I can't be more thankful for it. I love you, Tessa."

She gasped in a breath at his words. She hadn't heard them in a long time, since before he died. Her sister had said them to her before leaving, and parting ways, her mother had built up a wall almost, so emotions were something she simply couldn't feel after their dad died. Her father had always been the one she was closest to anyway, and when he died so did a part of herself. "I love you too, Dad." She told him quickly.

"Go, go look at the house. I know you're going to love it. I'll see you tonight, with something to celebrate, alright?" He said to her, "Hey," He called after her as she started heading for the door. Tessa turned around, "He's a good man, Tessa. Paige has seen it." She knew her father was referring to Alaric now. "He has a darkness around him though, so you be careful. Save him, if you can, but please, do not sacrifice yourself. Understand?"

Tessa felt her eyebrows twitch down in confusion, but nodded before turning and moving through the house towards the front door, meeting Alaric in the car.

After two hours of running from one place to the next, Tessa and, Alaric pulled up in front of his loft. "How about a celebratory drink?" He asked.

"And, we're celebrating…?" She trailed off as he took her hand in his.

"Uhm, the house? The end of the Mikaelsons? Us?" He'd added that last one as the crossed the road, it nearly stopped Tessa in her tracks.

They paused once they reached the sidewalk, "Us?" She asked. It hit her then, that she hadn't even realized what they were, did he want something more? Did he just want to leave it where they were at? She had her own place now, so they didn't have to continue living in the same house.

"Yeah," Alaric said as he turned so they were facing one another, practically touching. "Us." He told her.

"There's an 'us'?" She asked looking up at him from under her eyelashes. She could see a worrisome look come over his features.

"Do you want there to be?" He asked. Tessa's face split open into a smile at his question, then he did the simplest thing in the world. He leaned over and kissed her, and Tessa felt her world crack open. All the feelings she'd had building inside for Alaric flooded through her, and within seconds she had him pressed between her and the wall of the building. Her hands held her to his body like he were her lifeline. She felt his lips over hers, and it was like they moved as one, they fit perfectly over, and over again. It hit her then that she loved him, really and truly loved him. By the way, he was always willing to help a stranger, the way he looked for the good in people, the way he never gave up on those he cared for. She saw a lot of the qualities she'd held in high regards in her human life- a lot of them she still did.

She pulled away from him slowly as her hands trailed down to his chest. He was breathing harder than before, and her smile only widened at that fact, "C'mon, let's celebrate then." Alaric grinned pulling her into the bar. They'd just sat down when Alaric's phone rang.

Tessa could make out Damon's voice through Alaric's phone and excused herself headed in the direction of the bathroom. As she walked off she took notice of the doctor that had screamed at Ric from the parking lot when they'd been at the hospital last week. Tessa moved in her direction quickly, her eyes locked on hers and she said, "Do you remember your patient, Alaric Saltzman?"

"Yes." Her voice was monotone, it was clear to Tessa her compulsion was working.

"Is there any news from the scans of his chest wound?"

"The x-rays were inconclusive, the stab wound was already semi-healed. It's impossible to tell anything about the attacker, short, tall, left-handed, right-handed."

"How come he can't remember anything?" Tessa asked, "What about the CT scans?"

"They were clear, completely normal." Tessa mulled over this information in her head trying to piece together what happened that night. She was with Klaus, and Stefan in the moments before leading up to Alaric's attack, and this woman Alaric had thought to be the murderer was in surgery. Elijah hadn't been in the room when she'd walked in, and Klaus had promised to come back for him, she wondered if Elijah had done the dirty work for Klaus- he didn't strike her as the type of person, but she also hadn't expected him to threaten her father, and her the way he had last night at the ball.

"Forget this conversation ever happened." She said to the woman after placing a hand on her shoulder and locking her gaze with her. The dark-haired woman nodded before walking off to her table. Tessa sighed turning around and stared at Alaric sitting at the bar. She loved him. She knew that much, but he was still kind of a mystery to her, but in order for her to get to know him, she'd had to figure out what was trying to kill him. She moved towards Alaric taking up her seat beside him again.

A couple hours had passed, and in between drinks and half-decent bar food, Tessa and Alaric had moved towards the pool tables. They'd been talking and, laughing through their game when the doors opened, and Tessa was shocked to see Klaus, and Kol enter.

"What're they doing here?" She asked.

"Aren't they supposed to be meeting-?"

"My father." Tessa finished. The pool stick in her hand nearly splintered in her hands as they closed in tighter around it. Alaric's phone rang again, he huffed as he answered it giving Tessa an apologetic look all the while. Her focus, however, remained on the men at the bar, she was tired of being left out of the plans, her concern for her father was twofold what it was when she'd left his house that morning. She was half-tempted to go over there and talk to them directly, but Alaric noticed her face, and his hand went to her arm as he pulled the phone away to hang it up.

"They took Elena, but we have a plan."

"We?" Tessa asked her eyebrows up.

"Yes." Alaric said as he turned her around so she had her back to the bar, "We have a plan." He repeated. Tessa's arm was around his waist as he leaned against the pool table.

"So… You gonna share the rest or just leave me hanging?" She asked. Alaric smirked as his eyes moved up to the door.

"It starts with her." He said nodding to the blonde girl that had been Klaus's date to the ball last night. Tessa stepped away from Alaric as she made a move to take her next shot so as not to be noticed by the vampires at the bar. She was fairly certain Klaus had already seen her, but he was celebrating something with the cheers he was currently enjoying with his younger sibling. Alaric was quick to take his shot at the table.

Before she knew it, the blonde and Klaus were gone, leaving Kol looking bored at the bar. Alaric came up behind her, his mouth at her ear, "I'll be right back, okay? I'm gonna need you to get Kol by the back door here." Alaric said softly into her ear. Tessa nodded as she watched him move quickly out the door.

"Good to see you again, love." A voice chimed in from behind as Tessa made a move to line up her shot. She rolled her eyes slamming the stick into the cue ball and sinking in her solid 6 ball.

"Wish I could say the same, Kol." She replied icily.

"Aw, come on darling, the last time we met I was only having a little fun."

"If you call fun, beating up my boyfriend, for no reason then you seriously need to consider some therapy."

"You know, a woman of your caliber ought to choose more suitable company anyways," Kol said as he followed her to the opposite side of the table. Tessa huffed lining up her next shot, she sunk in the 3&7 solids. "I never did get your name from you, love."

"You mean to tell me Klaus didn't fill it all in for you?" She replied moving in closer to the door.

"He just explained about your father, but that's all past us tonight." Kol chuckled more to himself now as he continued to pester Tessa, "I think we got off on the wrong foot here, yeah? How 'bout we start over, as you know, I'm Kol. What's your name?"

"Get lost, Kol." She replied with a sinking feeling in her stomach concerning her father. She tried to ignore him, but she felt him moving in closer, and closer.

His smirk widened as Tessa moved to put her pool stick away after sinking the 8 ball, "I'm afraid I can't do that? You see, I like pretty little things with sharp tongues. Particularly the ones that rebuff my brother's advances as well…" He trailed off.

Alaric suddenly walked up behind Kol, Tessa felt her worry increase not wanting him to get hurt. "I'm pretty sure, she's already said to get lost." He told Kol. Tessa hadn't seen this side to Alaric before, it was clear he had something up his sleeve, quite literally, but Kol was more focused on Tessa as he reached out to trail his finger down her face, she moved it away swiftly spinning Kol around for Alaric to strike. She watched him dagger Kol discretely as she moved in front of them at vampire speed, blocking them from the rest of the crowd in the bar. Alaric was quick to drag Kol out of the back door. While he murmured, "Next time; take a hint." She heard him muttering to more people as he walked out.

"Tell the sexy vampire huntress, good work. See? I knew they'd hit it off." She then heard Damon's voice. Tessa stood right behind Alaric and Kol as she moved to step out with them there was a figure before her. She watched Klaus undagger Kol, and toss Alaric around like a rag doll a sickening crack resounded upon his contact with the brick foundation that encased the back walkway of the grille. Stefan was quickly thrown over Klaus's shoulder back on to the stairs.

"Ric!" She shouted as she made a move towards him, but Klaus stood before her anger written all over his face.

"I should've killed you lot months ago." Klaus spat as his gaze moved from Tessa to Damon.

"Do it." Damon challenged in a cool voice, "It's not gonna stop Esther from killing you." Klaus's attention remained focused on Damon now. Tessa took the time to move quickly to Alaric's immobile form. She'd pulled his head onto her lap and checked him over for life-threatening injuries. Luckily, there weren't any.

"What did you say about my mother?" Klaus pressed on as he moved closer to Damon, the dagger he'd removed from Kol still in hand.

"You didn't know I was friend's with your mummy?" Damon asked adding an accent to the last word. Tessa rolled her eyes at Damon's attempt to piss Klaus off further. "Yeah, we have a lot in common, she hates you as much as I do."

Tessa heard Klaus react as she looked up to see him holding the dagger up high about to strike, but someone intervened quickly, "Leave him!" Klaus stopped and turned to face up at Elijah. Tessa looked up and instantly regretted it. While he appeared to be still recovering from being undaggered, his clothes were bloodied. Tessa mind jumped to her father and Paige with worry. "We still need him, Niklaus."

"What did mother do?" Klaus asked as he moved over to the stairs. "What did she do, Elijah?" He asked again in a dangerous tone now. Elijah didn't respond, Tessa watched him take his phone out as he moved down the stairs ignoring Stefan completely.

"You tell me where those witches are, or I'll have my sister kill Elena, right now." Tessa felt her anxiety spike, she'd been annoyed by the girl that played martyr when she'd first arrived, but since she'd spent so much time with Alaric, she'd gotten to know a bit about the Gilbert kids, and needless to say, she cared.

"You told me we'd had until after 9." Damon pointed out, his tone outraged.

"I'm sure Rebekah would be more than happy to start her work early," Elijah said as he wagged his cellphone. With what was at stake, Tessa heard Stefan break the silence, "The old witch house. It's where-."

"The massacre of the witches, yes, yes, yes. We've got it. See you there then." With that Elijah sped off, Klaus lingered as he stared down at Tessa, he opened his mouth to say something to her, but seemed to have thought better of it, and was instantly gone too.

"He okay with you?" Damon asked, Tessa, glared up at him, but was surprised to see genuine concern for his friend, she didn't think him capable, but 15 years had passed since he'd done what he did to her father, maybe he'd changed since then. Tessa nodded not wanting to say anything, unsure of what would come from her mouth. Stefan and Damon took off, and Tessa was left with Alaric in the alley.

After half carrying him to the car, she drove towards their new house, luckily for her. Her father had made sure it furnished, and well-stocked. She wasn't sure how he'd grown to have all the connections he did, but she was thankful for it now. Tessa nearly dropped Alaric down into the lounge chair, and continued on into the kitchen, she'd grabbed an ice pack, and walked back to Ric holding it out for him.

"I guess it's a good thing, my dad anticipated a human presence here," Tessa said.

"I-I have to get back out there, Elena is still missing-." Alaric began to sit up but, he groaned his hand hovering over his side as he sat back down.

"You need to rest," Tessa suggested. She hadn't wanted to give him vampire blood on the off-hand he ended up dying again, she didn't want what happened to her to happen to him. If he turned, she'd wanted it to be because of his own decision. "Stefan and Damon were on their way. They're doing everything they can for her beside you won't be much good as a guardian to her if you're dead." Tessa pointed out.

"I hope you're in for a long night, because you may have a concussion, so there's no sleeping."

"I can think of better things to do…" Alaric trailed off with a grin. Tessa laughed sitting on the coffee table in front of him.

"Yeah, not with that broken rib, we're not." At Alaric's face, she chuckled more.

"Kind of sucks getting my ass kicked on our date."

"That was a date?" Tessa laughed out loud now. "Seemed more like an impromptu vampire hunt."

"But, those are the best ones." He smiled as he sat up, Tessa met him halfway as her lips pressed against his in a chaste kiss.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	18. 1912

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you.**

 **Okay all! Thank you all for your views, and reads, I am genuinely appreciative of every one of them. So this next chapter may be where it starts to differ a bit from the show. Again, I'm going to try and keep it to the storyline as closely as possible, but you all shall have to wait for the next chapter to figure out what happened, thanks again all, and please enjoy.**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after the woman in the cover photo who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark, and her father, Charles is inspired by the actor Michael Fassbender. Just incase anyone was curious.** **Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 18: 1912**

Tessa awoke to the sound of a cell phone going off. She padded down barefoot over the carpeted hall and walked down the hardwood stairs. She set foot on the open floor plan and turned left into the office and living room. Tessa was mildly surprised to see Alaric's phone sitting on the desk, she read the id with a frown before calling out to Ric as she answered it.

"Damon." She greeted curtly.

"Where's Ric?" He asked immediately.

"Why yes, Damon. It's certainly good to see your alive too." She retorted moving across the room and checking on the couch that was faced the opposite way from her. She still didn't see Alaric on the couch. He wasn't in bed when she'd woken up. Her brow furrowed even more as her anxiety spiked. She turned left and entered the kitchen area. It was still empty. She tried to call out to Ric again as she glanced out the glass doorways peeking out over the deck that was the length of the back of the house. The yard beyond it was empty as well.

"I need Ric." He told her in an irritated tone.

"Clearly." Tessa said to him, "Unfortunately, he's gone. I-I can't find him." She finished as she scratched her scalp in confusion standing in her now empty house.

"What do you mean, you can't find him?" Damon asked angrily.

"His car is still in the drive, but-but he's not in the house." She said after moving around through the previous doorway and bypassing the couches in the living area, into the office area, she peeked out the windows to see his car sitting in the driveway.

"Hmm." Damon said on the other line, "I'm coming over." Tessa huffed not wanting to particularly see Damon, but with Alaric suddenly missing she knew she'd need someone that knew the town well.

Within 15 minutes Tess had taken advantage of the amount of sun and dressed in a colorful floral print skirt-mostly the orange and yellows to go with the unusually bright day out over tights, A black long sleeve with cutouts along the spine. She tucked the shirt under the waist of the skirt that paired off nicely. She finished the look off with black ankle boots.

Damon had pulled in front of the house after Tessa had left him the address via Ric's phone. She snagged her leather black bag, made quick work of getting out to Damon's Chevy Camaro. She slammed the door shut behind her and looked him over. He sat there with a particularly sour expression, he was very similar to Stefan in his sense of style, jeans, and black leather jacket just screamed bad boy. She opened her mouth to ask how they were going to find Alaric simply by sitting there, but his phone rang.

Damon grabbed it without hesitation as he said, "Hello?"

Tessa watched his face visibly relax as he eyed Tessa before switching gears from park to drive, "I'm on my way." He said simply before hanging up.

"Where-?"

"Ric's at the police station." Tessa sat there her jaw slack. She was baffled as to how Ric could have done anything illegal last night given that he was severely injured. She kept her comments to herself as Damon tore through the streets of Mystic Falls until the pulled into the Police Station parking lot. He hadn't even waited for her to get out before walking determinedly into the station. Tessa just kept on his heels.

"Sheriff-?"

"Not here." A shorter woman with a pixie blonde cut said as she gave Tessa a confused expression, but Damon clarified that she was with Ric. With that, she ushered them into the lockup where the cells were. Tessa moved quickly as she saw Ric move to stand at the bars of the cell he was kept in.

"Ric, how did you-? What happened?" She asked alarmed.

"According to Meredith Fell, late last night Alaric attacked her with a knife." The Sherriff said from behind.

"What? That's-That's impossible, Ric was with me last night."

"All night?" The Sheriff asked because that's where the officers picked him up from. Tessa had assumed the faint scent of blood came from one of the other cells, but she'd pinpointed the dried blood on his shirt the minute she moved closer to the bars. Her hands rested on his arms he was leaning against.

"I didn't do it," Alaric said fiercely as he stared down the Sheriff.

"You're arresting him? For what this nutjob, Doctor Fell says?" Damon asked in a surprised tone as he also stared down at the Sheriff.

"No." She reasoned, "I'm detaining him. The cell is for his own good. You were shot, Meredith healed you with vampire blood." Tessa was assured in that moment that the Sheriff knew of vampires and what they could do, she was quite surprised.

"Doctor Fell is the one who shot me!" Alaric cried out angrily.

"Because you came at her with a knife." The Sheriff pointed out only confusing Tessa further.

"Yeah, a knife I'd found hidden in her things!" He continued.

"Are we going to ignore the part where Alaric is one of the killer's victims?" Damon asked as he moved in beside Tessa, closer to the cell. It was clear Alaric had his support.

"He was practically stabbed to death." Tessa pointed out turning to face the sheriff with an angry expression of her own. She felt a hand on her arm and found Damon had put it there, unsure of her reactions. While her left hand remained gripping one of the bars tightly in anger. She felt Alaric move his warm hand over hers.

"Well, Doctor Fell suggested that his wounds could have been self-inflicted." She continued to argue. Tessa was growing more and more irritated by the situation by the second.

"My god," Alaric began as he gestured to his chest with his free hand, "You think I stabbed myself?"

"Look, I think I don't know what to think." She said also letting her frustration show briefly at the questioning of her decisions. "I've got nothing, but a bunch of murder weapons from your stash, and a respected member of a founding family pointing a very long finger."

"She is setting me up." Alaric pointed out. Tessa rolled her eyes wondering if it mattered more on who the accuser was in this town rather than the pursuit of guilt. "I'm being framed here." He finished more agitated than before.

"That may be so, but I have no proof of that."

Tessa was still reeling at the fact that Alaric had left to go to Meredith's house so late, she felt his hand over hers moving in a subtle way of easing her mind, she knew her anxiety must've shown plain as day on her face with the way this conversation was going. He'd stuck his neck out for her; helped her, and she knew with the way she felt she couldn't just leave him here to rot.

"Then we'll find some." Damon interceded, but the sheriff was quick to protest.

"No, just stay out of this, Damon." She seemed angrier than when she'd started, "You getting involved is only going to make matters worse."

"Listen, Liz-." He began but the woman cut him off again. He looked her with shock on his face at her attitude.

"Don't make me put you in that cell with him." She said before turning and walking back down the long hall and out the door.

"Tessa, I'm sorry, I-."

"Don't be. I know you didn't do this. You aren't a murderer, Ric. I don't believe that." She told him her hands moving over his as he gripped the bars standing as close as possible to her.

"What were you doing over Meredith Fells last night? I mean I know you and, sexy psycho doctor were flirty, but I didn't think-." Alaric sent a glare at his words, but Tessa had already heard him, and it sounded bad. Tessa slid her hands slid away from the bars. She wore a confused expression as her eyes took in Alaric's face.

"I met you the same night I met her, Tess." He began immediately going into an explanation, but Tessa wasn't concerned about that. If he'd wanted the mysterious he'd have been with, and not Tessa.

"Why were you there last night, Ric?" She repeated Damon's question ignoring everything else entirely.

"She-She called me to talk about the x-rays, and the head scans. She told me the knife wound was inconclusive, and they couldn't-"

"Find anything." Tessa finished softly. "I know."

"How do you-?" Alaric began with a glance to Damon's also confused face.

"I compelled the information from her at the Grill last night." She answered quickly with a shake of her head, "I meant to bring it up to you, but then we got caught up in the Original business." She finished.

"Well, that's not going to help anything now. Dr. Fell already suggested your wounds were done by you." Damon stated.

"What is it about founding families that make them so trusting?" Tessa asked.

"It's the council," Damon answered for her as he moved away from the cell and walked around behind Tessa to her other side. "They were originally banded together nearly two centuries ago to take care of this town's growing vampire problem, along with the close net family lines."

Tessa turned her head to face Ric, "Are- Are you-?" He nodded.

"I'm not a founding member-obviously, I'm here." He grumbled, "But yes, Damon and I are on the council." He paused before taking a breath. "The murders that have been happening in the town were all council members. The night you were over my loft and you screamed- that was the night I was attacked, Bill Forbes- another a founder council member, was attacked earlier that day, the attack was after Doctor Fell fixed him with vampire blood, thus turning him. He didn't go through with the transition though." He finished.

"Wait, I'm sorry your scream-?" Damon began.

"I'm a banshee." She told him curtly not bothering to look away from Alaric. "That would explain my screaming earlier that day while I was at my fath-." Her sentence broke off as she thought of her father. She hadn't heard from him since he and Paige left for Canada, to meet with the Mikaelson's.

"That was when Bill Forbes was attacked. Did you see it?" Alaric asked almost hopeful. Tessa shook her head.

"No, It- it wasn't like it was when I was being foretold of your death. It was weird, it might've been because he was a vampire, but the foretelling- the scream. It wasn't from me. An apparition from another banshee drew it out of me?" She finished slowly as she took in the confused expressions of the two men before her, "It-It's hard to describe whenever I see another banshee and they scream- it's almost like I'm being warned by them. It's like a radio frequency." She began trying to find something to compare it to. "When another banshee appears foretelling someone's death it's like tuning into a radio station I'm not on. It's-It's like interception from another radio station, but," She paused thinking about it more, "When I foretold your death it was like picking up a newscast to the station I was already on. It came from me. Not another banshee. I think that's why I was teleported to you upon your death."

"We're connected?" Alaric asked softly with a frown between his eyebrows from his growing confusion.

"I don't know," Tessa replied softly.

Damon scoffed, "Well, that sounds confusing." He stated bluntly. Tessa turned to him with a glare, her passive-aggressive anger towards him showing through.

"If you're not going to be helpful, maybe you should just leave."

"Fine," Damon said after a moment of him staring at her. "I will. Have fun walking home." With that, his dark figure quickly retreated, as he stepped out Tessa felt her body tense as the Sheriff entered again.

"Did you find out something else?" Tessa asked as she crossed her arms. At the lack of response, Tessa assumed not.

"Look, Sheriff, you have to agree, there's no motive here," Alaric told her tiredly. The Sheriff looked to Tessa questioningly, she opened her mouth undoubtedly to tell her to leave, but Alaric spoke up saying she was here for him, and she knew most of what was happening with the murders as it was.

The woman- Liz either knew to pick her battles or was too tired to fight about that so she took a breath before continuing. "Look, both Brian Walters and my ex-husband got into altercations with Meredith Fell before their deaths. Now, she said you were a witness to her fight with Brian Walters." She said.

"So-So what are you saying? That I was defending her honor?" Alaric asked sarcastically. "I barely knew her then," Tessa wracked her brain trying to think of a time where he'd had an alibi for a murder, but she hadn't been with him when the other murder happened, she was with her father.

"She said that she also told you that Bill threatened to report her to the medical board for giving him vampire blood."

"No, she didn't," Alaric said sounding fierce in his defense.

"A 2 am call on the night he was killed?" The sheriff asked. Tessa sighed stressfully as she glared at Alaric now, the evidence was just piling up against him with this doctor. "I pulled your records, you spoke with her for over an hour." Her anger was placed aside when she saw the genuine confusion on Alaric's face, then Tessa watched the realization set in.

"Ok. I-I uh-." He began as he moved away to sit on the bed provided in the cell. "Yes, I-I remember calling her, but I was drinking, and I don't remember the conversation." He said. He wouldn't even glance at Tessa now as he crossed her arms growing uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking.

"Well, do you have an alibi for the night Brian Walters was killed?" Liz asked her hands on her hips, it was as if she was trying to help Alaric. Tessa could see that she really didn't think he'd done it either.

"I was there the night of the bridge fundraiser, remember? I was there until midnight, okay? You saw me there." Alaric defended.

"The time of death was between one and three am." She told him. Alaric sighed, but it clicked in Tessa's head, she was tipsy, but not wasted. That was the day she'd met Alaric, it was the night they'd slept together. She just couldn't remember the time.

"He was with me that night." She said before thinking it through.

"With you?" Liz asked her eyebrows quirking. "Where, and doing what exactly at those hours?" Tessa almost felt like she was a suspect now with the attitude turned on her.

"We were having sex." She blurted out with a hardened expression. The Sheriff glanced at Alaric, and then back to Tessa who'd stood her ground. Liz's face seemed to have tinged pink at Tessa's bluntness, but she accepted it all the same.

"Well, I'm going to need you to make an official statement, with specific times, and-and-." Liz had cut herself off as her voice faded. "I'm going to get the forms." She said before making a quick exit out the awkward conversation.

Alaric remained silent as he sat in the cell, Tessa leaned across the hallway against the far wall with her head tilted back, neither saying anything to the other. Tessa hadn't realized he'd been so 'close' to his friend that he ended up suspecting for the very murders he was now sitting in a cell for. She'd heard the faint rustling of clothes before, "Tessa-." Alaric began, but she didn't want to hear it.

"Don't." Was all she said to him. She opened her eyes and looked over at the cell to find him standing across from her leaning against the doors again.

"Please, just let me explain-."

"Sounds like you and, her were more than just friends, Ric." She cut him off again, her blue eyes glaring shards of ice at him.

"It was after the night I met you-."

"You mean the night we slept together." Alaric grimaced at her words, and harsh tone.

"We weren't anything, but a one night stand at that point, Tessa. I'd only known your first name." Alaric defended, but it only pissed Tessa off further.

"Right, because that's all this should have ever been, right? A one night stand?"

"I didn't say that-!" He cut himself off not wanting to yell at her, he knew how bad it looked. He'd slept with Tessa the night of the founder's party, and then the next day he'd spent time with Meredith- after Tessa had been taken with Klaus he assumed he'd never see her again. The empty feeling she left that day made him go out in search of something to fill it with- which he thought was Meredith. "Look, I'm sorry, but nothing happened with Meredith. I know it doesn't seem that way, but we talked the next day; that was it." Tessa opened her mouth to reply with a witty comeback, but she watched Alaric's face change at another realization.

"What?" She asked him sharply with a glance to the floor.

"It was nothing. Stupid really."

"What happened, Alaric?" She asked sharply.

"I kissed her." He sighed out. Tessa nodded as she looked away, she was hurt, but she didn't want to show it.

"So while I was dragged-unwillingly, by the way back to Klaus-godforsaken-Mikaelson you were out making out with the psycho doctor that you later ended up accusing of the very murders you, yourself are now a suspect of."

"I'm sorry," Alaric said softly, his head fell forwards and hit the bars. "If I could go back and, change it I would."

"Me too," Tessa said her anger still overtaking her. Alaric's face displayed the hurt she'd caused at her statement. She didn't care, she wanted to lash out at him, make him feel how she felt. Liz stepped into the corridor at that moment.

"Here you go, just sign these, and we will process the release forms," Liz said unknowingly entering into a tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. Tessa snatched the clipboard quickly filling it out making up times- given that she wasn't sure on specifics. She was hurt, but he had still been there for her when she'd needed him, he gave her a place to stay, away from the Mikaelson's. He also helped in getting vervain in her system to prevent further compulsion from Klaus. With that, she handed the clipboard back to Liz and stormed out leaving Alaric in his cell. As mad as she was she still needed answers, and she was setting out to find them.

Standing outside the police station Tessa went through Alaric's phone and quickly called Elena, luckily, Sheriff Forbes had already filled her in on most of the details and Elena was waiting outside the hospital to talk to Meredith, to convince her to drop the charges. Tessa bit her lip wanting to tell her that she had already provided a rather shaky alibi for Rick, but she wanted to talk to the doctor who'd caused it all first, so she quickly told Elena she'd meet her there. Unfortunately, she'd have to walk home and pick up her car first, but luckily enough her house was close to the police department.

Tessa pulled into the parking lot and got out of her Nissan to see Elena arguing with Meredith, "You date vampires, Elena. It shouldn't come as a shock to you that your guardian is a murderer." Tessa saw Elena standing there with her mouth open as she watched Meredith walk into the building. Tessa huffed knowing that she wanted to go after the doctor, but she knew that now would not be the best time to approach her. So she opted for comforting Elena.

"Hey," She greeted coming up from behind her, "You okay?"

Elena scoffed as she shook her head, "No-no, not really."

"Do you want to talk-?" Tessa began, but Elena pulled her phone out a determined expression overcoming her face.

"No, no talking won't get Ric out of the murder charges." Tessa opened her mouth to tell her, but Elena was already walking away talking on her phone, so Tessa moved back to her original target, Meredith. She walked into the hospital in search of the woman. She didn't want to approach her angrily, but she didn't think she'd have another opportunity before they let Ric out. She used her hearing to pinpoint her in an office.

Tessa pushed open the door that was further down the hall to the right, and she saw Meredith had soap all up her arms, whilst wearing a sick mask over her face. She huffed angrily at Tessa's appearance, "I've had my fill of Alaric's defenders today, thanks though."

Tessa felt already the precarious level of her anger spike, and she simply reacted. Grabbing Meredith by the arm she slammed her into the wall behind her pinning her there with her shoulders. Meredith's surprised gasp was audible from under the mask. She locked eyes on Meredith and, felt her compulsion kick in, "I'm not here to defend him. I'm here to figure out why you think it's him. You gave facts with no valid evidence to the Sheriff, and yet they locked him up why?" Tessa seethed angrily.

Meredith was slow to start talking, but once she did, it all clicked for Tessa. "The ring." She muttered. Tessa could see the fear she caused in Meredith's eyes.

"What about it?" Tessa asked as she slammed Meredith back against the wall at her attempt to run.

"I think the ring is making him crazy, how many times can he cheat death before it catches up with him some way. I-I have an old journal at my house. A Gilbert journal. The-the woman in it went crazy and began murdering council members too, all while wearing that ring."

"How-How do you know about the ring?" Tessa asked surprised, and unsure of what else she knew.

"He-he told me." Meredith replied, "The night I saved Bill Forbes with vampire blood, he brought me back to the Gilberts house; He shared his secret of being a vampire hunter that was unkillable by anything supernatural." Tessa rolled her eyes at how Ric just seemed to open right up to this woman, not knowing much about her, but then it hit her. He knew even less about her, and she; him. Tessa gnawed at her lower lip wanting to compel any and every memory of Alaric from this woman's mind. She wanted to make her forget everything since she met him. She was angry that even for a day she'd had someone competing for his love, but she knew better. She couldn't draw too much attention to herself, not until she had dealt with her own problems, like her father. Tessa sighed pulling away. She knew then that was the night Alaric had kissed her. Tessa felt inner turmoil about it, she wanted to run away from it, but she knew that her feelings for Alaric would prevent her from doing so. She figured that he was probably being released right about now. "Give me your address, and then schedule an MRI for Alaric tomorrow morning. Forget this conversation ever happened." Tessa said to Meredith before using her vamp speed out of the hospital and into the parking lot, she was headed to Meredith's apartment, she needed to find what Meredith had found to think Alaric guilty.

Night had fallen, and she'd just nearly escaped Meredith's apartment before she entered- Tessa wasn't sure how she'd gotten there so fast from the surgery at the hospital, but Tessa didn't want to stay there to find out. After compelling the record from the corners office, and the hospital records she was headed to see Ric. She groaned as she pulled up to the Gilbert house. She didn't want to bear the bad news, but she knew that Alaric needed to know that the ring he wore was making him crazy-whether he knew it consciously or not.

She knocked on the door quickly to see Alaric standing there in a grey t-shirt, and jeans, his hair was slicked back from his face, Tessa's hands were itching to run them through it. Feelings were awakened from within her as she recalled doing it the last time they'd been together at his apartment. Tessa bit her lower lip at the smile he greeted her with. "Tessa, hey." Before he could say anything else. Tessa leaned up gripping the neck of his shirt in her hand she pressed her mouth to his.

"I do love you. You know that, right?" She asked him softly as she pulled back.

Alaric smiled down at her with a nod.

"I'm sorry, I-I should've said something when you met her-."

"Yeah, I do recall being a bit preoccupied with figuring out how I was going to move out of Klaus's house, but I was thinking about it, and it-it isn't right for me to make a big deal out of it. We'd really only slept together that night. There weren't any promises made. Just the one night." Tessa admitted. Alaric gestured for her to come in, and she walked through the door. As soon as the door was shut, Alaric was on her.

"I didn't realize how much I cared then, but I do now," Alaric muttered against her mouth. Tessa's arms wrapped around his neck pulling her body up against his. She wanted him in her life, they made a great team. Where he was strong Tessa wavered, and vice versa. They just fit together, and Tessa had known that from the start. The two continued to make out until Elena came in. Tessa pulled back quickly.

"Ric? They finally released you? Good. I-I uhm." Elena began awkwardly.

"Sheriff Forbes told me what you did," Alaric said as he turned to face off with Elena. "And, while I appreciate it, I don't want you getting in trouble because of me, okay?" He moved in closer to Elena who'd wrapped him in a hug the minute he stepped a foot closer to her. Tessa could see the relief over her features as she hugged her guardian. She was safe from losing someone else in her life.

"If not you, then for who?" Elena asked pulling away to look up at him. Tessa smiled seeing Ric's fatherly side come out, he didn't have much going for him in the parental guidance department, but Tessa could clearly see he was trying.

"Well, still-. I'm the one who's supposed to look after you, even if I suck at it." He chuckled out looking down at her.

"Well, how 'bout we just agree to take care of each other then?" She asked. Alaric laughed at that with a nod.

"Deal." He told her pulling her into another hug. Tessa noticed his ring flashing as his hand moved in the light of the living room.

"Ric?" Tessa asked softly taking a step closer to him. "A word?" She asked with a nod into the kitchen. Ric smiled down at Elena who took the opportunity to head upstairs muttering about reading something. Tessa waited patiently for Elena to get up to her room before walking into the kitchen with Ric. He was quick with pouring his coffee, "Want some?" He offered. Tessa smirked but declined, she wasn't in the mood to ingest vervain- although she hadn't had any today.

"Ric, I-." She began.

"I don't know what would have happened had you not been there today, Tessa." He told her as he sat beside her at the table.

"You'd have probably been charged with murder." Tessa told him bluntly, but, she had a confession to make and she was determined to get it out, "But, Ric. I-I've been thinking about it all day, and I'm not sure what time you came home that night. I know it was after midnight." She told him. Placing the files before him. He looked at her with a confused expression, his eyebrows were turned down as his eyes stared at her sharply with disbelief.

"Well, yeah, I-I was at the council party-." He said placing his mug down from sipping his coffee.

"No, no Ric. It was well after midnight. I kind of guesstimated the times I put down on the paperwork. This way they won't be looking your way again." He stared at her his jaw slack.

"Are-Are you seriously considering that I did this?" He asked her, as he flipped through the photos of the dead. She could see the annoyance plastered on his face.

"I'm saying it's possible; have you experienced any loss of time, blackouts?" She asked him. She'd gone to college to an RN- she was already awarded her nursing associate's degree, she just needed the bachelors in science, so she knew a little bit about enough of things. It helped that Tessa had broken into Meredith's apartment and read that Gilbert journal she had.

"This has happened before, Ric. Nearly a hundred years ago. In 1912 a woman named Samantha Gilbert wore the very same ring, and she was found murdering council members-." Tessa paused hearing a door open from the second floor, she heard quiet and timid footsteps come down the stairs as Ric defended himself, "I think I'd know if I were killing people- I was attacked, myself."

Tessa took a breath knowing that he didn't want to think the worst- she didn't either, not until she found the proof in Meredith Fell's closet.

"You were attacked with your own weapon- a wound that wasn't the killing blow. It was fatal, but I really do think it might've been self-inflicted. I think whatever power the ring has, when you die and come back, it changes you."

Alaric scoffed at her.

"How many times do you think you can die, before the ring will affect you?" Tessa asked him as her hand moved to hold his, but he pulled away. That's when Tessa saw Elena's figure in the doorway towards the living room. Alaric looked over his shoulder, "Elena?" He asked softly.

"I-I think she's right, Ric," Elena said holding up the very journal that Tessa had read through earlier that day. Elena had done just what Tessa did, she broke into Meredith's apartment and was caught. Tessa sighed leaning back as Alaric thought about it further. He took the ring off and placed it on the table with a sigh. He ran his hand through his hair stressfully.

"Am-am I killing people?" He asked. Tessa heard the break in his voice. She could see he was at war with himself, he didn't want to believe it but, the facts were staring him in the face.

"I think you need to get checked out, Ric. I spoke to , and we're to go get an MRI tomorrow. Dr. Fell is going to help, she's the one who's done all this digging. She knows." Tessa sighed not knowing what else to say, she stood and moved towards the front door.

"Where're you going?" Alaric asked as he stood.

"Just to get some air." She assured him. She hated seeing Alaric react like that. She hated being the one to deliver the bad news to him, but he needed to know. Now they could work on ending the murders that have been happening in the town. She pulled her phone out quickly dialing her father's phone. She's been avoiding it, not wanting to know if he'd been killed, which she assumed as much given that there'd been no word from him since yesterday. The Originals had come back to town before their mother finished the spell, rendering it useless. Tessa half felt that the reason for that was because she'd warned Klaus unknowingly setting her father's plan crashing down to burn. The majority of them had fled since then, Tessa hadn't had any run-ins with them since the ball when she'd left Klaus in the woods.

The phone was ringing, and ringing, it went to his voicemail after some time and Tessa sighed feeling her heartbreak. She knew her father had played a risky game by going to meet them at the Grove. She tried to convince him otherwise, but he had been dead set. Tessa imagined that the brother's that went had slaughtered the lot of people that helped nurture and grow the grove. She huffed wiping her eyes as they watered, she had too much to deal with concerning Alaric. She couldn't let this wear her down now, he still needed her.

"Hello, love." The voice she'd hadn't heard in the last few days hit her, and her body froze.

"Klaus, what the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be miles, and miles away on the run from your own mother?"

"Oh no, love. You see? We have some business to attend to." Tessa glared up at him.

"Where's my father?" She asked him through gritted teeth.

"Dead. Of course." He answered her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Only proving her suspicions right. Tessa fought to keep her emotions in check, but her body betrayed her, and she tackled Klaus off of the porch onto the lawn.

"Oh, seems I've struck a nerve? Apologies, I didn't expect you to react like this given how little you cared when taking the life of your mother." He told her with an evil grin, as he twisted them over so he was atop her, pinning her to the ground.

"What do you want from me?" Tessa seethed, "You killed my father, and burned the grove to ash. Are you just here to gloat or, is there an actual reason for your unnecessary presence?"

"Seems your father's girlfriend knew a lot of your father's secrets. Including the one where he left you the last of the 12 white oak stakes." Tessa inwardly cursed, she knew that having the stakes would put her life in danger, but she also knew that they wouldn't kill her until they got them. Luckily, she wasn't the only one that knew of them.

"I just want the stakes, love. Then I'll go and you'll not hear from me again. If that's what you want." He told her moving off of her as he pulled her around to the side of the house.

"Why wouldn't I want that?" She seethed pulling away from him.

"Seems your boyfriend has some secrets of his own. I'm terribly glad I didn't kill him the morning I found you two together. Getting to hear that he's responsible for the murders around town, and seeing him agonize over his actions is going to be much more enjoyable to watch."

Tessa growled, her eyes changing in her anger, she slammed Klaus into the side of the house, only to have him counter her and push her to the ground. He laughed suddenly, "Oh-ho yes. Get mad. It's only going to make what happens next that much more interesting."

"And, what's supposed to happen next?" She asked quickly moving to stand mere inches from Klaus. Before he could answer Tessa felt hands grip her head and with a quick twist, her world was thrown into darkness.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	19. Murder of One

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you.**

 **Okay all! Thank you all for your views, and reads, I am genuinely appreciative of every one of them. So to go along with the story, I ended up skipping the episode titled Break On Through- otherwise it would've just been Tessa being tortured by Kol, and that seemed to only be like a page worth of things to write- not to mention, gruesome. Anyway, here's chapter 19! Thanks all!**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after the woman in the cover photo who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark, and her father, Charles is inspired by the actor Michael Fassbender. Just incase anyone was curious.** **Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 19: The Murder of One**

Tessa groaned softly, the pain she felt coursing through her was immense. Disoriented, she tried to move but found unable to do so. Everything around her was dark, and even with her superior vision, she couldn't see anything to clue her as to where she was. Suddenly the door burst open and light flooded the room nearly blinding Tessa from behind.

"Huh." Came that accented voice she heard last before her neck was snapped. "You really weren't kidding."

"Nope." She heard another male voice and, she was even more confused. What was Kol doing here? She asked herself as she felt her body swinging through the air. Looking around she found herself tied to the ceiling, chains held her wrist together, tightly. She could see that she had tried to break them to no avail, her wrists were red and bloody from numerous attempts. How long have I been here? She thought dazedly.

"Morning, love." Came Kol's velvety voice as he moved around to her front. She stared at him mustering up as much hate as she could into her glare. "Aw, not happy to see me?" He asked with a faux pout on his lips.

Tessa tried to yank her arms down again, only to have pain radiate down to tired shoulders. "Oh, no need to keep trying that, darling. You won't be able to break the chains. You already tried that yesterday."

"Yesterday?" she muttered softly as another figure came into view behind Kol. Her blue eyes locked on Klaus. "So, does anyone want to fill me in on how long I've been here?" She asked trying to remember the last day.

"Let's see, we brought you here the night before last. I worked you over pretty good yesterday which would be why you don't remember." Kol told her as a silver glint in the sunlit room caught Tessa's eye. She was quick to see it was a hunter's knife. She felt searing pain as Kol cut into her upper thigh exposed by her once bright skirt, but, now it was bloodstained. "After realizing that torture wouldn't work on you, I spent the majority of last night attempting to rid you of your vervain, however, given that it was just a regular old kitchen knife, it didn't work well what with you're vampire healing abilities. So I thought I'd give this one a try." She had noticed earlier her tights were gone, now it seemed they'd been cut from her legs

Tessa hissed as Kol sliced at her upper thigh again. "What's the matter, love? You don't recognize it?" Klaus stood behind Kol not saying anything as he looked on with a curious expression. He kept glancing up at Tessa's wrists and hands. "Your ex-lovers knife? Niklaus took it from the house you lot went to visit up in New York." Vervain. Tessa thought crying out as Kol cut her leg particularly deep.

"I know of one vein in particular that will bleed out nearly all your vervain-saturated blood." He grinned moving in closer to her. "Do you know to which I'm referring to?" He asked her as he moved a piece of her disheveled hair from her face. Tessa groaned when she felt Kol slice at the skin along her collarbone.

"It's not up here…" He trailed off. He circled her and she felt his hand move down her back. He came around to the front again with his hand resting on her hip bone. Tessa's eyes flicked back to Klaus who now seemed to be paying more attention to Kol's wandering hands.

"No, not here either." He told her as he moved the knife under her black shirt to run it from hip bone to hip bone. Tessa cried out by the pain tearing through her abdomen. She yanked at the chains keeping her in place again, feebly.

"It's only a little lower, we're almost there," Kol said as his dark chocolate eyes stared at her. Her blue ones gave away the fear within her and she watched him grin devilishly, clearly relishing in it. She gasped as she felt his hands grasp the outside of her thighs, and he slid them down to the crook at the back of her knees as he pulled them up around himself.

"Kol." Came the authoritative voice of Klaus.

"Oh, c'mon Niklaus. It's not like I haven't tasted it already, the sweet scent of it was simply too much to handle."

"Of course you did," Klaus replied moving in now as Kol backed away letting Tessa's legs fall back down to dangle just above the floor. "No control." He muttered

"I'm getting the job done, am I not brother?" Kol asked almost challengingly as he turned to face Klaus.

"You are, yes, but I'm afraid. I'm in need of your potential threat elsewhere. I'll take over from here." Klaus told him with a clap on the back as he steered Kol away.

"Oh, come on Nik we all know you won't really hurt her. At least allow me a taste before I hit the road? Perhaps together, brother?" Tessa felt confused but kept silent. It appeared that Klaus was on the fence about agreeing with Kol. There was a moment, and Kol took advantage of the silence.

He was back in front of Tessa again and this time he held her leg up, he stood on the outside of it. He was almost offering it to Klaus, he used the knife to slice her inner thigh, she cried out again at the pain. Within moments Kol's mouth was at her cut and he sucked in her blood. She could hear the growl from him as it reverberated up her thigh. He pulled his mouth away and looked over to his brother.

"C'mon, Nik. We all know you fancy the girl, might as well have some fun with her. Besides, it's so good." Kol's mouth was back on her now searing skin. Tessa gasped trying to yank her leg away only to have Kol's teeth elongate as he pulled back to strike deeper into her. Tessa felt the pain as he sucked up her blood. she turned to face Klaus, hopeful for some help.

"Klaus. Please." Her voice was weak now. His eyes skimmed over her body and stopped on the back of Kol's head as he drank from her. Tessa groaned as her other leg swung around and locked Kol's neck in a hold. Before she knew it, the knife Kol was using was jammed into her side. Tessa screamed from the pain, and Klaus reacted as he pulled Kol free from her legs and pushed him further away.

"Go now, Kol; before I seal you in the box you were locked in for over a century."

Kol righted himself and then stood to his full height as if challenging his elder sibling, "You wouldn't dare, brother."

"Try me," Klaus told him. A moment passed before Kol smirked, he laughed as he left closing the door behind him, plunging Klaus and Tessa back into darkness.

"Where's Paige?" Tessa asked remembering he said he'd gotten the information about the stakes from her.

"Paige? Oh, you mean the delectable little fairy?" He chuckled, "Well, let's just say Kol has never been very good with control-hence why I've sent him far away whilst you're here." Tessa didn't have time to react before Klaus moved at his vampire speed as he pulled open the blinds in windows around the room.

"Hmm. It's interesting, really." Klaus wondered as his figure slid back into Tessa's view.

"What is, Klaus?" She asked feeling tired from the still bleeding cuts.

"The fact that you're not burning up in the sun-even us, Original's are affected by it, but you my dear. Aren't." Tessa looked up thinking that she'd had her daylight ring on, only to find it gone.

"Where's my ring?" She asked alarmed, but it hit her then that she wasn't burning in the sunlight- just like Klaus had said.

"I took it back, love. You see it was a condition of your loyalty for you to have it, and well there's no longer any loyalty here."

"You took it-?" Tessa asked softly. "Loyalty-?" She felt something in her snap, and she began yelling at him. "You killed my father! Yet you still expect me to be loyal to you?! What the hell is wrong with you?" Klaus smirked at her question.

"Some people would say a great many things are. Other's would argue that there's nothing wrong. I like to just say, I'm evil." He grinned and in a blink, Tessa felt his cool pale hands grab the leg Kol was previously feeding on, Klaus, however, moved to his knees, his eyes locked on Tessa as he did so. Tessa didn't want any more pain. She knew she could withstand it, but it was uncomfortable when Kol had fed on her, it felt wrong. She watched as Klaus eyed her bleeding wound and he sent her a fangy grin. The scent of her blood drew him in. She recalled tasting her mother's and it was as if she'd gotten high off of it. Tessa knew quickly it was her Fae blood. It made her able to walk in the sun without protection, but it was also seductive to vampires. They had a hard time controlling themselves around it.

"Klaus, no-." She began, but she felt his tongue move across the cut that was starting to heal. She watched him as he swallowed it, he hummed with pleasure as his eyes closed lightly. Tessa stared at his newly darkened eyes once they opened and Tessa saw the golden ring in them before he struck her skin. She gasped feeling entirely different from when Kol had fed from her. It hurt with Kol, but with Klaus, she could feel her body warming under his fingers. Tessa groaned when she felt his fangs dig in deeper. Her hands once trying to break the chains that held her now gripped them from the sudden pleasure rushing through her.

"Kl-Klaus…" She tried to call his name, but it turned into a groan when she felt his hands roaming the expanse of her bare leg. She watched as he disengaged himself from her thigh, and stood as he licked up the remaining blood on his lips. Tessa felt a pang jealousy at him, with all her concern for Alaric yesterday she hadn't had a chance to feed, and now she could feel the bloodlust growing within her. She groaned as her midsection awakened with hunger.

"What is it, love?" Klaus asked her his hands coming up on either side of her face. "Hungry, are you?" He asked softly. His Hybrid eyes still stared at her as he took in every detail of her pretty face. As much as Klaus hated admitting it, this woman affected him in the ways none other had. She was frustrating and calming to him at the same time. She was disobedient, and yet the perfect weapon to add to his army. She was attractively alluring and, still life-threateningly dangerous to him.

He watched her nod weakly, with a whimper. Klaus smirked at her with his fangs displayed widely. He slid his hand back before biting into his wrist and offering it to her. Tessa hadn't known what she was doing when the scent of blood hit her. It drove her mad, she felt her eyes changing and, her fangs elongating as he baited her vampiric nature with blood.

"Go on." He coached her softly as he offered his bleeding wrist to her. She was hesitant expecting him to pull it away from her at the last second, but she struck quickly and drank in what he offered. She groaned, her eyes closing as bliss overwhelmed her. She felt her body reacting to the powerful blood coursing over her tongue.

She vaguely heard Klaus groan, but her mind was solely focused on the electricity now flowing through her body. Suddenly Klaus pulled his wrist away and, she groaned in protest. It was as if a switch was flipped with Klaus, "Ah, ah, ah. Can't have you drinking too much. We're just going to be coming in later to hopefully compel the location of the stakes from you in a little while. I'm sorry, I'm afraid I have more pressing concerns at the moment." She felt her head fall forwards as she was coming down from her high, she could feel her eyelids lowering from her lack of intake in comparison to the amount of blood she lost. Tessa quickly lost consciousness again.

"Psst, hey," Tessa jumped, her body was sore, pain thudded through it everywhere. She moved her head up resting it on her arms-which were still chained together over her head. She saw Damon strung up before her. His arms were constrained in bear traps, his feet were on the floor. "Tessa," He called out to her in a hushed voice.

"Mmm…" Tessa mumbled back to him too weak, and tired to form actual words.

"So this is where you've been. The family of sadists got you." He trailed off his eyes looking at her bloodied form. Tessa groaned becoming more alert as hunger hit her from the scent of the blood running over his pale chest, she felt her eyes shift, and her fangs elongate. She watched from inside the ripped open button up as blood spilled over his skin.

"Whoa." Damon said as his eyebrows went up, "Nope, I'm not going to be locked in here with you. If you get free I'll be the first thing you go for." He tried moving his wrists to break free but was as successful at it as Tessa had been with her own. Tessa heard footsteps behind her and she saw Klaus coming around to her front wearing his standard black pea coat over a cobalt colored sweater and dark denim jeans. He totally ignored Damon's sarcastic greeting.

"Alright, love. You should be compellable, by now, so let's find out then, shall we?" He asked. She felt his hand take her chin in a tight hold, it wasn't enough to cause pain, but in her weakened state, she couldn't fight it. His piercing blue gaze locked on her fatigued barely open eyes. "Tell me, did your father leave you white oak stakes?"

"Yes." She said, her monotone voice was a clear sign she could be compelled.

"Ah, good. It took a while, but it worked. Seems fairies have a natural magical buffer to most compulsion." He said the last part to Damon as he broke the chains keeping Tessa upright. She hit the floor with a loud thud. "Luckily for us, with just the right touch of torture, blood loss, and blood sharing we've been able to overcome that." Damon was left speechless, for once, with his jaw slack as he watched Klaus crouch to lift the unconscious Tessa from the floor before he carried her off deeper into the house, leaving Damon in the ballroom.

Tessa woke up, her throat dry, and scratchy. It hurt her to move, but she was surprised to find that she could. She was on a couch, and across from her she heard chanting. She saw a dark girl- one she recognized from the first night Klaus had brought her here-which felt like forever ago. Tess wracked her brain trying to remember the girls name, Becca? Brie? Brooke? No. She was having a hard time with her muddled brain, but she was trying to focus on anything other than the heart within the girl pumping away, pushing blood through her veins.

"Tick tock, Bonnie. Our girl is awake, and believe me. She is simply ravenous." Klaus's taunting voice sounded from above her. Tessa glanced up and saw his face. His blue eyes sent a shiver through her, she wanted to be as far from him as possible, but she knew she couldn't move, not with a human in the room. She'd kill Bonnie for sure.

The chanting redoubled, and Tessa heard the girl's nervous heart beating faster, louder. Tessa groaned turning her face into the back of the couch trying to cover her nose from the barely-there scent of blood just under her skin. She could smell blood in the air suddenly, and her body reacted without conscious thought. With a threatening growl, and snapping of fangs Tessa used her speed to go after Bonnie. Klaus suddenly had her in his arms, as he blocked her from the witch.

"Sorry, love. It appears the witch needed extra motivation, I threatened her lover, and have used you thus far, but seems like she's working harder now." Tessa paused in her fight to get past him when she noticed the spirits of the banshees all over the room. Tessa's once fighting grip on Klaus changed to one of fear, she knew what was going to happen next, and she was scared. Her banshee abilities frightened her more because she didn't know what to expect from them. He felt her grip tighten as she pulled him closer, "Tessa, what is it?" He asked

Tessa's breathing came in gasps she felt a scream steadily building in her. "Tess-Tessa love?" He asked as his hands moved to cup her face and look at her. He saw that her once darkened blood-red eyes were now clear and, wide with terror.

"No." He heard her whimper, and without another warning, she screamed. Klaus was sent soaring across the room. His hands covered his ears as pain tore through his head, he'd thought his head would shatter from the sound she emitted. As Tessa's scream died down she fell to the floor, she was unconscious again. Klaus sat up from behind the desk he'd been psionically pushed to. He pulled himself up and looked at Tessa's crumpled figure, over at Bonnie. Her hands were slowly removed from her ears as her eyes stared down at the orange-red head. She was breathing hard when her frightened gaze turned to Klaus.

"It's done." She told him. Klaus was still distracted wondering how Tessa had somehow pushed him across the room with just her scream, he chalked it up to her power as a banshee and his focus now returned to Bonnie, he was intending on holding up his side of the bargain so he moved to walk her out. Upon his quick return, he found Tessa was no longer on the floor, she stood before him, in a dazed state swaying on her feet.

"Tessa?" He asked unsure if he'd wanted to pull her from her daze.

Her eyes flicked up to him from the floor as if she hadn't seen him until now, her eyes were wide, and blank of emotions. He could sense his trepidation rising within, her mouth opened and a scream tore from her. A scream that sent Klaus soaring from the power of it. The last thing he could recall was soaring through the air.

Tessa found herself at Alaric's loft. Her body was screaming at her for even standing, and she wasn't sure how she even got here. The last thing she could remember clearly was being hung from the ceiling in Klaus's mansion by chains. She could vaguely recall seeing banshees and screaming. She groaned feeling the world shift from under her, her body, and mind was exhausted from the unrelenting torture, and mental strength she'd used with her banshee powers. She fell against the door unable to stand any longer. She felt the door opening and she nearly fell through the doorway only to fall into a solid mass of dark green thermal shirt.

"Tessa? Oh, thank god." She heard his relieved voice, and a slight smile came over her lips. He held her against him as he closed the door behind her. "I thought you were dead. I-I was so worried." Then he quickly realized she wasn't moving. He laid her on the floor where they were and looked at her. The amount of blood on her skirt, alone, would have sent most people gagging to the bathroom, her body looked as though she went on a killing spree, but he judged by her lack of consciousness that the blood she was covered in was her own. He knew only one thing would help her now, so he pulled her up in towards his chest and held her head by his neck.

"C'mon Tessa. You-You have to. C'mon wake up and drink." He muttered into her red hair. He heard her groan softly. "Tessa! You have to do this, or you won't heal and you'll desiccate."

She seemed to have heard him from where ever dark corner she was half in, and he felt her fangs pierce the skin of his neck. He'd anticipated it to hurt a lot more, but with the way she was holding him, he could tell she was trying hard not to cause any damage.

He groaned when he felt her moving against him, she'd straddled his lap, her mouth not leaving his neck once. Tessa was more alert with the more blood she took from Alaric, she groaned feeling dizzy as she fought hard to pull back. She wanted enough to heal herself, not to kill him. Alaric stared at her, his gaze moved over her face, down to the blood marks over her collarbone. He watched as she licked the blood from her lips, and in the state, he was in right now from the heady feeling she evoked, all he could think about was her tongue. He leaned in slightly, but she pulled back.

"I'm sorry, I-I just-." She began. Her soft, hoarse voice was like music to his ears. He was worried he'd never hear it again. Once word spread- with thanks to Bonnie. That the Mikaelson's had her and Damon he wanted to charge in there and free the both of them, but with his precarious state, he was in between him and his darkness he was advised to stay home.

"I don't care." He practically growled. Tessa gave a little 'mph' as Ric kissed her forcefully. She felt his hands at her back ripping the skirt from her waist. She groaned as her shirt was torn from her in a similar fashion. Tessa was quick with relieving Alaric of his shirt, and her hands roamed over his skin. She felt his hands wrap around her bum as he lifted her easily and headed towards the bathroom. Neither of them breaking the kiss. Tessa's front was pressed tightly against Alaric's when he picked her up. He groaned as he moved them towards the bathroom adjoining his bedroom. He moved her through the threshold into the bedroom when Tessa suddenly pushed herself down to her feet, her hands slid down the front of his chest towards the waistband of his jeans and she undid them quickly before using her vamp speed towards the bathroom. Alaric heard the shower turn on and was quick with ridding himself of clothes and joining her.

After Alaric had taken her on nearly every surface in the loft, Tessa found herself in his arms, in bed. He caught her up on the alter ego thing, about Elena helping him immensely. He also filled her in on the attack he launched on Meredith. She moaned turning over to move her face into his chest, and she felt his intake of breath as he paused in the conversation. She inhaled simply enjoying the calming reaction her body had to the mere scent of him. Alaric smirked glancing down at her.

"Not that I don't like it, but how is it you always manage to come here?"

Tessa opened her mouth to answer but she couldn't tell him, "I-I'm not sure, actually." She told him softly as a worried expression overcame her face. "Truthfully, I-I barely remember the last two days."

"Well, with the amount of blood you were covered in, I can see why." He stated. She saw his eyes harden into a glare at the mere thought of her being tortured. "Oh god," She began. Alaric looked at her with concern, "I don't even know if I'd said anything about the stakes or not. That's what they'd wanted."

"Well the stakes would be at your house, wouldn't they? No vampire but you can enter to get it." Alaric pointed out.

"That doesn't mean Klaus didn't compel someone to go in and get it for him," She replied. She pushed herself up, but her dizziness sent her back to the pillows.

"Whoa," Alaric said leaning over her as his hand rubbed her scalp, "You've been through a lot the last two days. Relax. Please. The stakes will be there tomorrow."

"-hopefully." Tessa cut him off pointedly.

"Would you like me to go?" He asked.

"No," Tessa said, a little too quickly. The corners of his mouth tilted up in a smirk. "Please. I just want you with me right now. The last two days were awful, and I-I just can't be alone right now." Every time she'd closed her eyes she saw Kol coming at her with Robbie's hunter's knife. It wasn't the only thing she recalled though when she'd been with Alaric in the shower, and on the counters, and on the couch… her mind couldn't help but, drift back to Klaus. She could remember the heady feelings she felt with his mouth on her thigh- which should've been too high up for comfort. She could remember the way his hands slid over her leg, her imagination went wild with imagining Klaus's mouth trailing up the inside of her thigh slowly. She nearly groaned at the thought of it, but Alaric cut into her daydream.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked probably thinking she was reliving the whole ordeal.

She nodded with a glance in his direction. A sudden knock on the door caused her to jump, Alaric muttered for her to stay where she was as he slid out of bed, and got dressed only to have louder, angrier knocks sound.

"Ah, you're alive." Alaric greeted.

"Yeah, for now. I need your stake." She heard Damon's voice and stood quickly finding Alaric's blue flannel button up and throwing it on over her before taking a step out of the bedroom.

"It's right behind these books here." She heard Ric answer.

"Wait, what stakes?" She asked. Damon and Alaric turned to see her standing by the brick doorway from the bedroom. "Ah, you. Good to see you're alive. Klaus was pissed after you'd gotten away, and I had to answer for that, so, thanks." Damon greeted as he turned back to Ric who was looking through the shelf. He paused standing in front of the shelf dumbfounded, "Where the hell is it?" He wondered aloud.

That got Damon's attention as he focused on Alaric from Tessa as he watched her move to the fridge in the kitchen and snagged a blood bag she'd kept stockpiled here, "Haa ha. Look harder, Ric." Damon said sarcastically.

"It's not here, Damon," Ric told him irritated.

"Well, maybe you just forgot. What shelf you put it on." Damon told him as he began tearing through books on the shelf not particularly caring about breaking things.

"No, I-I didn't forget it. I put it right here. It-It's-A stake doesn't just vanish into thin air." Ric said as the panic set in. Tessa straightened her form out and watched the two men tear through the bookshelf.

"Well, who else did you tell, Ric?"

"I didn't tell anybody, Damon!" Ric defended. "I was the only-." Tessa watched as he realized something and put his head in his hands. She came up behind him.

"What is it?" She asked softly as her hand went to his shoulder.

He heaved a sigh, "I'm the only one that knew about it." He repeated gaining Damon's attention. Damon groaned the word No softly, "Are you telling me that your vampire-hating alter ego has a stake that could kill an entire line of vampires, possibly mine?" Damon finished his anger rising.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you," Alaric replied. The severity of the situation hit Tessa like a tone of bricks, she moved quickly into the bedroom and yanked on a pair of sweats from Alaric's dresser before pulling on a sweatshirt of his she found. She walked out of the bedroom, with her shoes in hand and was headed to the door.

"Where're you going?" Damon asked angrily.

"To my house, to check if my stakes are still there." She replied. Alaric quickly grabbed his boots and moved to follow after her.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	20. Heart of Darkness

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you.**

 **Okay all! Thank you all for your views, and reads, I am genuinely appreciative of every one of them.**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after a woman ,who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark, and her father, Charles is inspired by the actor Michael Fassbender. Just incase anyone was curious.** **Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 20: Heart of Darkness**

Tessa sighed as she moved to the door for the 15th time that hour. "You know you being here defeats the whole purpose of locking me up so that when my psycho alter ego comes out, you're safe," Alaric told her tiredly as he sat up and leaned against the brick wall behind the cot.

"I can't just leave you in here, Ric," Tessa told him. Damon, Alaric and she had gone to the house she'd spent a grand total of one night in- to find the duffel and stakes burnt to ashes. Her suspicions had been right all along, she'd spilled to Klaus under torture as to where the stakes were- now she had no leverage, and no way to avenge the death of her father.

Now, though there was still one stake out there from Damon's grand plan to chop up the Wickery Bridge sign-which happened to be made of the last white oak in existence. Unfortunately, Alaric's alter ego moved it from its original hiding spot, and no one knew where he put it- not even him.

"I'm asking you to leave me in here, Tess." He told her as she opened the oversized and heavy metal door. The room Alaric was locked down in somewhat like a jail cell, she'd have thought he had enough of those. The lockups were in to be in the basement level of the Salvatore boarding house. Probably used for vampires all those decades ago. "And, now you're coming in…" Alaric trailed off eyeing her form, as he stood from the cot. Tessa looked down noticing the leather bag at his feet. "Courtesy of Elena." He chuckled picking up a book from the bag. Tessa nodded knowing how boring it must be in here.

"I miss you." She told him as her hands reached out to grab him by the hand. Her other hand slid up the charcoal button-up he'd worn that morning, before her arm slid around his neck closing the distance between them. "I can't stand being alone in that house, it's too big for one person." She continued. Alaric chuckled with a shrug.

"You know, you could always stay at the loft."

Tessa's eyes looked at him, judging the expression on his face she could see that he meant it. "I don't know…" She trailed off. Alaric's hand gripped hers, pulling her in closer to him. "Seriously, I don't mind it. If you can't stay at your home, just go back to mine. I'm sure it could do with a woman's touch anyway, the place is kind of a disaster."

"Well, it doesn't help that you and, Damon tore through every place you could potentially hide a stake." She pointed out with a chuckle. Alaric leaned in slowly and pressed his mouth to hers. She could feel his arms wrap around her waist underneath her black knit cardigan and pull her tightly against his body.

A moment passed between them, in which they just lokked at one another, "I love you." He said to her suddenly. Tessa pulled back staring at him in shock.

"Wh-what?" She asked softly unsure if she'd imagined it, or if he'd actually said the three words she always thought but never said.

"I love you." He told her again, this time his intense blue gaze remained locked on hers. Tessa opened her mouth to reciprocate the words, but she'd just stood there like an idiot, trying to take in everything she could about him, and this moment, she felt his hands move to cup her face, his fingers sliding up into the nape of her hair. Tessa could hear his forced slow, and steady breathing but his heart was beating wildly in his chest.

Leaning in Tessa pressed her lips to his, this kiss was soft, and sweet, and slow. Her hands wrapped around his body one at his waist and the other over his shoulder. She moved to get as close to him as possible. She hadn't realized the depth of care, and love she felt for him until he'd uttered those words.

"I love-." She began.

An 'ahem' broke them apart, and Tessa turned to see Stefan at the door. Her body stiffened at his presence, but she'd expected him to be here- it was his house. He was different, lately. More apologetic, more human. Tessa still didn't like him, but she tolerated his presence after, she'd gotten an apology last night from him when they'd all arrived.

"It's hard to sleep when it's what you're supposed to do." Alaric defended.

"It's even harder to do it when you're girlfriend is making out with you," Stefan argued pointedly looking to Tessa. "I thought I could bring something that would help." He said shaking the bottle of bourbon.

"Ehh, why not?" Alaric asked as he took the glass bottle.

"This also came for you too, you know," Stefan said as he slid over a styrofoam box.

"Ah, yes. Unlike you all, I do have to eat." With that Ric pecked Tessa's mouth and took the box and bottle to the cot where he sat beginning to eat. Stefan dragged a chair in with a glass of his own. He offered first the seat, and then the glass to Tessa, but she waved him off.

"I still can't believe you guys killed Finn," Tessa said into the sudden silence, as she moved to sit beside Alaric.

Stefan shrugged. "We'd thought that was the right thing to do when they were all connected."

"Yeah," Tessa said slowly, she turned to see Alaric eating a well-done burger.

"Want some?" He asked offering her a bite.

"Ugh, no." Tessa felt her stomach twisting, she briefly wondered if it was that usual dread that overcame her when someone was about to die, but it went away. She shifted uncomfortably her hand moving to her stomach.

"You alright?" She heard Stefan asked, her eyes immediately moved to Alaric, but she then realized he was asking her.

She eyed him suspiciously but answered anyways. "I'm-I'm fine. That-That's just gross." She replied. Tessa huffed having to move away from Ric while he ate, the grossness of cooked meat was agitating her system. She stood up to move away but, had to find the nearest bucket before vomiting up blood from the night prior.

"Tessa?" Alaric asked as he stood, Stefan along with him. She turned around wiping her mouth quickly on the back of her black cardigan. She wore a grey tank top underneath, with some light jeans. She was just thankful to be in her own clothes and clean. "Are-are you okay?" Stefan asked eyeing her up and down.

"Yeah, I think so?" She asked.

"Vampires don't just throw up for no reason, Tessa." Alaric said his voice showed his anxiety. Tessa could see it in his blue eyes.

"I don't know." She muttered, "I haven't had a lot of blood the last few days…" She trailed off.

"That would leave you desiccating, not throwing it up." Stefan pointed out much to her annoyance.

"Yes, I get that, Stefan." She replied venomously. He held his hands up as if fending her off.

"What else could it be?" Alaric asked. "Another banshee thing?"

Tessa shook her head as her stomach clenched painfully, "No, I don't feel a sinking dread feeling. I just feel-." She cut her self off searching for the right word. "Sick."

"Well, that's not good."

Memories flashed through her head of when she'd been held captive at the Mikaelson's, her blood sharing with Klaus. A shiver ran up her back at the odd feelings stirred within. "I-I-." She started, but she couldn't finish. She didn't want to admit what happened, and what was worse is she didn't want to admit she enjoyed it a bit.

"What is it?" Ric asked. He moved beyond Stefan and stood behind her at the threshold of the cell.

"I don't know if this would cause anything, but when I was at the mansion for those 2 days, I went through a lot, some of it I can remember others… I don't think I want to." Tessa began. She took a steadying breath turning around, she saw Alaric giving her a worried expression while Stefan looked on confused from over his shoulder. "Klaus and I; we-we drank from each other." She finished her gaze slowly moving down to the floor.

"Wait, you literally drank from him? Like straight from the vein?" Tessa nodded and, Stefan chuckled shaking his head. "That wouldn't cause you to vomit. It could cause some lingering… feelings." He stated. "It just proves that Klaus has a soft spot for you, that's all." He finished with a shrug.

"Wait, what does that mean?" Alaric asked turning around and moving towards Stefan.

"It's just something typically done, intimately," Stefan explained as he sipped his bourbon. Tessa sighed uncomfortably. "It just establishes a very personal connection to the person, that's all." Stefan finished.

"Apparently fairies have a magical buffer to most compulsion so, he needed one that day. That way he could compel the location of the stakes from my head." Tessa pointed out moving back into the cell.

"Which I found, and burned. So it's a win-win for all, wouldn't you say, love?" She heard his voice in her ear and her body stiffened in response. She moved closer to Alaric as he and Stefan stood up uncomfortable at Klaus's appearance.

"I found this upstairs." He continued on unfazed, "Now by my count, you still owe me one more." He finished with a look to Stefan.

"Yeah well, it's going to take a little more time to get it," Stefan said quickly.

"Why? Because we're waiting for that one to pass out?" Klaus asked with a gesture to Alaric. "No thanks, I think I'll just kill him," Klaus said only resulting in a look from Tessa.

"Well, then you won't know the location of the final stake," Tessa said as she moved in closer to Alaric.

"I can live with that," Klaus said with a maniacal grin as he moved in closer to Alaric.

"Yeah? Well, I can't." Stefan interrupted as he pushed Klaus back a few paces. "When we staked Finn; we discovered that killing an Original vampire killed its entire bloodline," Stefan told him. Tessa watched Klaus's smirk fall as he gathered the seriousness of the conversation, "Now, I don't know which one of you, I'm descended from, but I'd rather not find out by dying. So why don't we just find the stake, and destroy it so we can all be safe."

"So the entire vampire race depends on you, finding the stake," Klaus began Stefan nodded in answer. "And to get it we need you got to pass out?" There was a nod from everyone at this point as the tension died down. "Which means, I feel totally justified in doing this." Klaus finished as he sped over to Ric. Tessa felt the unsettling feeling overcome her as tried to call out to him, to yell, but it was too late. Klaus had snapped his neck, killing him.

"No!" Tessa cried out as she stared wide-eyed, before she knew what she was doing she was on Klaus shoving him against the brick walls, her anger displayed over her features.

"Whoa, whoa there, love. I was simply speeding up the process." Klaus defended as he pushed her away from him.

"You killed him." Tessa seethed in anger. Klaus's mouth quirked up at the corners as he pointedly ignored her statement and headed out the door. Tessa glanced at Stefan who lifted Alaric and, placed him back on the cot as Tessa followed Klaus out.

"Hey, you burnt the stakes?" She called out as he stood out on the porch steps. He paused turning around with a curious expression.

"I had someone else do it, but yes. They're gone." He backed up as Tessa came outside with him, closing the door behind her.

"You need to live up to your end of the deal," Tessa told him with a glance away across the lawn over the cool day. Klaus moved closer to her now.

"My end-?" He began to ask but, paused as a smirk overcame his features. "You want me to remove my compulsion," He said softly as his eyes moved over Tessa.

"Yes."

"Why?" Klaus asked, "You have no reason to want to leave." He finished as he began circling her, "Unless," He started as he moved to her back. "You plan on taking Alaric with you?" His voice was soft in her ear. His mouth dangerously close to her skin.

Tessa remained silent, knowing that's what she really wanted, she didn't care about the stakes, about Klaus. She cared about Alaric and wanted to take him from Mystic Falls, out of the danger.

"I'm afraid, love, that before I do that. I'll want to have the only weapon left out there that could cease my existence in my hand." Tessa huffed as Klaus walked around to her front again. "I do have an offer for you if you're interested." He told her softly, his hand moved her hair back behind her ear. Tessa swallowed hard, her eyebrows turned down.

"The same offer you've extended to Caroline?" She asked him. Tessa had been kinda tossed into the group of friend's here in Mystic Falls when she and Damon brought Alaric here last night- Caroline had been all to eager to complain about Klaus to her given their equal disdain for his mere presence. However, everyone was mostly in a panic given that they'd just realized that when they kill an original the rest of their vampire bloodline dies with them. Tessa was descended from Elijah- who it seemed was the least threatening of the vampires, given his morals. Although it wasn't wasted on Tessa that they could be scattered to the wind when his family was threatened.

"We both know Caroline won't even consider it," Klaus told her, his voice soft as he moved in closer to Tessa. "You on the other hand…" He continued as his hands slid around her waist. "I want to give you the life you never got whilst human, no more hunting, no more rules, just you and me traveling the globe."

"But-but, Alaric-," Tessa said softly her eyes moving over Klaus's serious expression. He seemed to have stopped trying to bury his emotions, he was allowing himself to feel through it, seeing where it would take him.

"He's as good as dead, love. If he doesn't take his own life from guilt a vampire that he goes up against will. You need to live still. Once this business is settled I'm leaving with or without you." Klaus leaned in and was about to press his mouth to hers, but he paused. She pulled back an inch at his hesitation. His eyes were wide with surprise, and he looked at Tessa with shock.

"What-what is it?" She asked him.

"Shh," He told her. His head tilted slightly and she could see him focusing on nothing as he was listening to something. Tessa was trying hard to focus on what she could hear too, and beyond the birds nearby, and the wind blowing through her hair she heard the heartbeats. Klaus's strong one, hers, and then another's. She'd glanced back at the house thinking maybe it was Alaric's or even, Stefan's but the sound of it was different. It was a faint heartbeat that was twice as fast as normal, and it was closer than either of the two in the house would be.

Tessa's face went slack with shock as she heard it. She gasped unable and, not wanting to believe what she'd heard. "No." She stated softly. Klaus eyed her up and down. "No, it's not possible." She continued, "I'm-I'm dead. I can't be-."

"You may possess the heightened emotions, the speed, the strength, and the bloodlust of a vampire, but you can walk in the sun, you can see banshees and, you're blood…" He cut himself off taking a breath at the memory of tasting, and sharing blood with her. "You're blood is as seductive as that of the Fae. You may be a vampire living on blood, but it doesn't change your biology- you may be a vampire, but your body is that of a banshee-your Fae side still remains active through your banshee connection. I suppose this is a creation that nature hadn't been prepared for." Klaus chuckled turning away. "Ah, the Fae. An entire species of which had been long since wiped out of existence." He told her.

Tessa stood there trying to remember how to breathe, she was still trying to process. "Until now," Klaus said softly as he moved his hand to hover over Tessa's stomach while he smirked.

Tessa tried to think of anyone she could turn to. Anyone to ask, but Klaus's brother had killed the only other Fae Tessa had known, Paige. This just didn't seem possible. "Well, seems as though my offer will have to be postponed." Klaus continued on while Tessa stood frozen in shock. With that, she looked up to find Klaus gone. Tessa gasped in a breath as she turned to head back inside the boarding house.

"Hey," Stefan said as he peeked over the couch at her before hanging up his cell phone. He noticed her face and became concerned. "What's wrong?"

Tessa didn't answer him, she wanted as little people knowing as possible, at least until she sorted it out in her head, "I-I-I have to go." She muttered as she grabbed her coat from the hanger by the door.

"What? Where're you going? What about Alaric?" Stefan asked.

She paused with her hand on the doorknob, "I'm sorry, I will be back for him. Just, please. Please take care of him, Stefan." She turned to open the door only to find it pressed close with his hand on the door.

He stared at her with a serious expression, "Where are you going? What's wrong?"

"Stefan. Please. Please, just watch over him. I have to go. I have to get something-."

"Is it Klaus? Did he do something? Say something?"

"No." She told him softly now looking into his eyes. "No, it's not Klaus. It's a banshee thing, and I have to go look into something, right now. Just-Just stay with Alaric, please. I will be back as soon as I can. You owe me that much." She muttered. Stefan seemed taken aback by her statement. He had apologized for all the wrongs he'd done- mostly for murdering her, but she needed to leave. She needed to get to her father's, and he was in her way so she pulled that card.

Stefan grimaced but backed up, all the same, allowing her to rush out to her car. He watched her drive off as he turned and headed back downstairs in the hopes that Alaric would awaken and be not-Alaric.

Tessa groaned as she tore through the house her father had rented with his girlfriend. She knew Paige had a book on all things Fae, and she was determined to get it. She'd checked the bedroom first but it hadn't been there. She groaned as she searched the living room leaving the kitchen a mess in her trail behind her. She inwardly cursed her father for having such a big house, she moved into the back sitting room, only to see a room covered in bookshelves.

"Great." She muttered to herself and with that, she set to work looking through the place book by book. What the hell she asked herself idly, as she thought back to Paige's reading from the book. She tried to recall it's physical appearance. It was a massive leather bound book, she glanced over the shelving units on the opposite side of the room, and one book in particular stuck out at her. The beige leather binding with raised stripes at the top and, bottom of it seemed to grab her attention. She raced over to it and slid it from the shelf. It fell open in her arms, and she says the handwritten words scrawled across the pages. She'd found it. Sitting down she began the long reading she'd had ahead of her.

After getting several pages into the book, she heard the whispering voices that clued her into a death nearby. "No." She whispered her ears ringing now. She could feel the explosion of dread in the pit of her stomach. A sharp pain struck her in the chest. She cried out trying to gasp in a breath through it. Her head fell back against the bookshelf, with a thud. She could feel her breathing and heart rate slowing. She tried to remain calm knowing that this was just the experience of someone else- or soon to be. She gasped fighting to breath past the pain in her heart, a banshee's shriek was torn from her throat. The psionic power behind her scream was enough to knock books off of the shelves surrounding her. Whoever was set to be murdered was to get stabbed in the heart. Tessa gasped in a final breath before blacking out.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	21. Do Not Go Gentle

**I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of it's associated characters, thank you.**

 **Okay all! Thank you all for your views, and reads, I am genuinely appreciative of every one of them.**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after a woman ,who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark, and her father, Charles is inspired by the actor Michael Fassbender. Just incase anyone was curious.** **Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **I am choosing to leave the story off on this note. I have second one in the works. Thank you for the continuous views, and I hope you enjoy the last chapter. I was gonna do either an epilogue for an glimpse at how Tessa was during the pregnancy, and with whom she was around/where she was for the duration of it. Drop a review and let me know what your thoughts are on that. Should I add it on here, or just make it like a prologue into the next story?**

 **Thanks guys!**

 **Chapter 21: Do Not Go Gentle**

Opening her eyes, the bright light of the sun was blinding. Tessa felt as though she were in a daze, her body was uncomfortable as she came to. Quickly realizing she'd passed out seated on the floor leaning against the shelves. The big book of the Fae was still open in her lap, with a groan she sat up, and looked over the page she was open on. She'd fallen asleep whilst reading about evil beings of the Fae, however, considering she, and her unborn child seemed to be the only ones left she turned the page not looking into it much. She recalled the stabbing premonition she'd had which her blackout was a result of. With a louder groan, she pulled herself up using the shelves above to steady herself. Yanking her phone out she dialed Alaric's number.

"Hey," She heard him greet.

"Alaric?" She asked as relief flooded her voice. "Oh, god. I-I thought-."

"Thought what?" he chuckled. "That Stefan would kill me like he did you? Is that why you just up and left?" He asked suddenly.

"What?" Tessa asked surprised. "N-no. I had to get to my father's."

"Your father's? Why? Isn't he dead?" Tessa was taken aback by his bluntness, it wasn't like him to speak to her in this condescending tone. "I'm still alive, Tess. I've fought for you, I was there for you. Even though you've been dead since the night we met. You don't have anything left to fight for. Everyone around you dies and you clearly weren't going to bat for me when you left me to rot on the floor of the lockup in the boarding house cellar. I do though. I have my own life to fight for and I'm sorry, but what I have left doesn't include you."

"Ric, what-?" She asked into the phone feeling her chest ache at his words. "You can't mean-."

"Oh, I do. Don't call again. I'd also recommend not coming to the loft either." He finished darkly before hanging up. Tessa could feel her eyes watering at the hurtful words replaying in her head. A lump had formed in her throat as she sunk to the floor again. Her tears spilled over as she tried to gasp in calming breaths. The one person she had left just dropped her. Her support throughout this whole ordeal, the one man she felt safe with had turned away from her.

She pulled her knees to her chest as she cried, her phone thrown across the mess of books strewn over the floor. Her world felt like it was shifting underfoot, and her balance was already unsteady. Tessa pulled herself up; she needed to see him. The loft would be her next destination. Tessa stumbled out the door-book in hand, until she bumped into someone very familiar.

"What're you doing here?" Came a voice she hadn't realized she'd actually be happy to hear, Damon stood on the porch.

"D-Damon. It's Alaric. He-he isn't-."

"Himself?" He asked as he held up a glass container full of the herbs Bonnie had given him. "Yeah, I've gathered that thus far." Tessa sighed with relief. "You weren't at the loft, Ric had mentioned to me how he was iffy on being here with your father given all the ways he could have screwed it up, so I knew where it was-." Tessa didn't care. She just saw all the herbs were untouched, and she knew that Ric needed help. Her help. She held up the massive book she'd come here to get, and Damon stared at the blank cover.

"You came here for a book?" He asked her his voice full of disbelief. "Ric is fighting for his sanity, and our lives against himself and you're here looking for a book-."

"Careful, Damon. People might think you actually care." She muttered trying to move around him. He gave her a glare, his anger showed through his nostril flaring as she glared away at him. He gave up easy this time, "C'mon, we've got a doctor to visit quickly, maybe she's heard from him. That last time his alter ego came out to play it was with her." As Damon spoke he pulled Tessa's unstable form with him to his car.

Her and, Damon had driven to just about any place Ric would have gone to hide from them only to come up with nothing. Tessa sighed running a hand through her hair as night fell. She knew the rest would be at the decade dance, "We're gonna have to go there." Damon told her.

"How is going to some stupid dance going to find Alaric?" Tessa asked her worry increasing.

"It's not, but Bonnie Bennett; a witch at the dance just might." He told her with his eyes flashing in frustration. Tessa huffed crossing her arms but went along with Damon's plan. It's not as if she knew how else to find Alaric.

Upon entering the dance, she and Damon hunted down Stefan and Elena to explain what was going on with Alaric. Apparently, Elena had a brother, Jeremy, who was just as opposed to Damon's suggestion as Tessa was. He had stormed off in a very younger sibling-like fashion before Elena followed calling after him. Tessa sighed as she looked at both the Salvatore brothers.

"Why didn't you come back last night?" Stefan asked suddenly. Tessa paused looking up to see his eyes focused on her.

"Why didn't I-?"

"Come back. You heard him." Damon chimed in. Tessa rolled her eyes not wanting to do this here, at the school.

"I was looking for-."

"Your book. Yeah, but why? When there's so much other stuff that takes precedence over that. Ric was spiraling, and you didn't notice?" Damon seemed to be getting genuinely frustrated with her and, her lack of communication. It was only pissing her off. "You mean to tell me, that while Alaric-the man you love, was fighting himself to protect everyone in this town yesterday, you were off gallivanting around to look for this stupid book."

"Why does it concern you? Who are you to judge? Where were you when your best friend needed help? Oh, right. In Colorado making out with his step-daughter." Damon gave an uncertain glance towards Stefan at her comment, but Tessa continued. "It's not just me that could have prevented him from running off-!" Tessa gasped as flashes hit her, She stood before Klaus's mother. Esther. Elena stood on the other side of the alter type thing; next to Esther. She was crying and, begging. 'No, Ric. Please don't.' Tessa swayed on her feet as Stefan reached out to steady her.

"You alright?" His tone was serious as he eyed her.

Tess nodded pulling away, She looked back to Damon while taking a steadying breath. "When I left the boarding house. Alaric was in the care of your brother-not me. Do not put this whole mess on me." Tessa snapped at him. "Yes, I love him, which is why I'm standing here right now fighting with you guys to find him!" There was a pause in which both Tessa and, Damon just glared at each other, "Besides all this, I just had a premonition. I'm pretty sure if we don't find Alaric soon, he's going to end up dead."

Damon's eyes went wide, "Where?"

"A nearby cemetery. All I could tell was that he was inside a mausoleum. With Esther." At her last words both men jumped into action, they glanced to one another before Jeremy made his way to them. "Elena's outside with some older blonde lady, she sent me in here to get you guys-?"

Everyone's mind went into panic mode before they vamp sped outside to the front of the school. It was vacant of both, Elena and Esther. Jeremy somehow managed to get out of the boundary of the school entrance, but Tessa, Stefan, and Damon were trapped behind a barrier.

"Salt," Stefan observed stupidly, as he and the rest of them glanced down. "It's a binding agent for a spell."

"We're trapped here," Damon muttered quite possibly more angry than he had been before. Damon muttered something about Bonnie undoing the spell before he raced off. Stefan stood with Tessa.

"I get it now." He said to her. She rolled her eyes at his voice.

"Get what?" she muttered as she made another attempt to get past the barrier of salt.

"Why you left yesterday, and why you never returned after finding that book." He continued. Tessa groaned turning around to face him.

"Let's get one thing straight, Stefan. You may have been the one to know me the longest out of the little Scooby Doo gang here, but you are the last one to guess my motives. You don't know me-."

"When you were having your vision or premonition or whatever it is that you banshees get; your heart sped up, but that wasn't the only thing I heard-."

"Yes, yes, we know she's pregnant. What is this?" Klaus's voice interrupted the conversation as he stood before the salt line unable to move it as well. As Tessa stared open-mouthed, shocked at Klaus. Stefan stared at Tessa just the same.

"Wait a minute, you're-." Damon's voice came from behind her.

"Pregnant. Yes. You're telling me you can't hear the faintest of heartbeats in a body where it does not belong? Vampirism changes you, yes, but not that much Damon." Klaus said with a sly grin. He was clearly getting enjoyment out of being the only to have figured it out.

"That also explains why you threw up blood yesterday." Stefan shrugged.

"We have more pressing concerns at the moment." She cut them off quickly. She could remember the foretelling of death she'd gotten last night, and she now had a sinking feeling that said death was Alaric's. Possibly his final one.

"Yes, I agree. Now, I'll ask once more. What is this?" Klaus asked slowly.

"Your mother's back," Stefan smirked at him.

"I've got Bon-Bon working on a way to get us out," Damon said as he came in closer.

"Without the proper motivation, she'll never get us out of her in time," Klaus said as his eyes flashed dangerously before disappearing. Stefan growled slightly before following after him.

Damon stood there staring at her, "What?" She asked not particularly wanting to be in his presence.

"I-I didn't-."

"You wouldn't have known if I'd had my way. Ric doesn't even know yet." Tessa told him with a glance. Damon's head looked down at the asphalt under his feet. "I, out of everyone here tonight, Damon. Have the most reason to want Ric alive. I found out yesterday, thanks to the Maniacal Great Gatsby in there." Tessa nodded back towards the school. "He heard the heartbeat before I even did." Tessa shrugged. "I need to get to, Ric." Tessa finished as she turned back to the barrier.

Damon nodded, "We will. Bonnie is going to help us, and we'll get to him. We should go inside-."

"No. I'm staying out here, that way when it comes down I can just go. I'm not waiting." Tessa stated with a fierceness behind her voice she hadn't felt in a long time.

Damon nodded, as he walked off slowly leaving Tessa with her thoughts of her very precarious future. After some moments passed an angry Klaus exited the school followed by Stefan. They were arguing amongst each other by their tones.

"You know, this is your fault. You set us on this path when you released my mother." Klaus's eyes had been on Tessa, but he turned to face Stefan quickly. "I wonder if revenge will prove worth the cost."

"Oh, I'm done with revenge," Stefan replied quickly. In his usual calm tone. Tessa huffed rolling her eyes; leave it to Stefan to unearth this monstrous being hell-bent on ending all vampires only to back down on revenge when things go bad for everyone else-himself included. "As far as Esther." He continued on, "We've stopped her before, we'll stop her again."

Tessa could hear the smirk on Klaus's face as he spoke, "We are strange bedfellows, you and I."

"Ugh, enough. Enough. Don't you two get it? This is serious. Releasing Esther may have started out as a revenge fantasy, and all that. Now? Now she has not just Elena, but Alaric, and we've sent Jeremy and, Matt there as well. What's to stop her from killing them all?"

"My mother only wishes to kill off the supernatural she created-."

"And, anyone that will stand in her way, I'm sure." Tessa cut Klaus off glaring at him darkly. "We may stop her from ending all vampires tonight, but what's to say she doesn't take out all the humans left vulnerable while we're trapped in here?" It was blatantly obvious who Tessa was actually referring to, but it went for all of the people that Esther had, not just Alaric. Tessa knew someone was set to die tonight, and there was a one in four chances that someone would be Alaric. As much as she could she selfishly hoped it wasn't, but usually her hope got her no where.

That's when Bonnie and, Damon made their exit from the building, "It's done." Tessa vaguely heard her speak more, but she had no interest in hearing it. She took a slow step over the barrier and saw her foot move over the thick line of salt. She was about to race off when she felt that familiar pull, a heavy feeling exploded in the pit of her stomach, and whispers were all around her. She groaned holding her head from the dizziness that struck her.

"Tessa?" She heard the nearby voice of Klaus.

Tessa felt the scream building up in her, and instead of fighting it like she normally would. She let it out quickly. She didn't want to fight her banshee power anymore if she did. She'd likely be too late. She felt movement next to her, and before she felt that pull she saw Klaus had appeared at her side only for her to vanish.

The world was moving around her until she felt herself drop down. She was in the mausoleum. Looking over at Alaric laid out on the floor. She'd watched what appeared to be the back of Elena, and Esther disappear as they exited.

"Matt? Matt, drop your gun-!" She heard Jeremy yell from outside.

She heard Alaric gasping as he sat up. "Tessa?" He asked staring at her, confused.

She fell beside him pushing the bloodied stake into his hand, "Help-Help them!" It took Alaric a millisecond before he sprung into action. Tessa remained inside, waiting for him to come back, but she knew deep down that she'd gotten there too late. One of the first things she'd noticed was that he hadn't had his ring on when he awakened. She knew Alaric wouldn't turn. He'd want to go out as a human, she wasn't going to force him into it like she had been.

She heard slow footfalls as Alaric entered, followed by Elena. Tessa felt her eyes watering, involuntarily. She didn't want to cry in front of him and make this worse than it already was for him. She'd heard Elena give him the rundown of what Esther had done- making him into another Original vampire- One that would hunt, and kill any vampires he came into contact with. Alaric's eyes moved over a tearful Tessa, she could see the concern for her all over his face, but there was nothing anyone could say, the damage was already done.

Alaric opened his mouth as he took a step towards Tessa, but Jeremy came in from behind. "Damon's here, and Klaus took Esther's body."

She heard Alaric sniffle and knew that he was fighting to hold himself together as well. "Good. Does-uh-Does he know about the stake?"

"No." Jeremy began, "Only, that she tried to turn you into a weapon and, failed." Jeremy saw the saddened expressions on everyone's face. "What is it?

"Listen, Jeremy, I'm-I'm not gonna complete the transition. My dark side was dangerous enough as a human. I can't be a vampire." Tessa heard the tone those last few words carried and knew that he had no interest in becoming a vampire regardless of his dark side.

"So, what? We're just gonna lock you in here, and let you die?" There was a pause, and Tessa couldn't bear to bring her eyes up from the floor as her eyes burned, and a lump formed in her throat. She moved up to Alaric's vacant side as she led herself under his arm. Jeremy's outraged voice rang out.

"No! No, we can't-."

"Listen Jeremy it's the right thing to do, okay?" Alaric defended as Tessa felt his arm wrap around her and his other hand moved up to stroke her hair at the back of her head. "After everything that has happened, after-after all that I've done." There was a pause, as Tessa pulled back looking up at him, shocked by where this conversation was turning, "Maybe I had it coming." He finished as he moved hair from Tessa's face.

Jeremy began to move out of the mausoleum, but Elena called out to him before turning back around to face them, "Alaric, this isn't your fault."

Tessa sniffed as she unwound her arms from around him. He turned towards the younger Gilberts saying, "Please, you guys. Let's not make this any harder than it has to be." Tessa felt Alaric's arm hold her closer, "You two should go. Tessa's her, Damon's here. They'll-they'll make sure it all goes down the right way."

Tessa glanced up at the pair of siblings and nodded as she wiped her face of tears, she put on a strong face for them, but on the inside, she felt broken. She'd just found out she was pregnant- something she'd thought was a physical impossibility, and the father of her child was choosing to die. She wasn't sure if she should even bring it up, she wasn't sure if it would change anything, or if it would just make it harder for him.

Jeremy turned away angrily, and Tessa felt Alaric leave her side to say his goodbyes. Tessa hoped they two would leave soon, her strong face was slipping out of reach the more she thought about it. She decided it'd be better to tell him. Hoping it would change things, but she didn't put any expectations on it, it's better when to not build up hope on uncertain outcomes. She thought crossing her arms as Jeremy left after a hug with Alaric. He turned to face a choked up Elena.

"This is all my fault," she said, Tessa moved to put a hand on her shoulder as Alaric stepped closer shaking his head. "You-You moved out. You gave me the ring back. You didn't want any part of this and, I-I forced you to stay and take care of us."

"Don't do that, okay?" Alaric began, his voice soft. "Taking care of you and Jeremy has been," He paused taking a breath, Tessa could tell the hunger was affecting him, but he didn't want to show it in front of Elena. "It's been the closest, I've ever come to the life I always wanted." Tessa lost it at those last words, she backed away, her tears spilling over, and slipping down her face. She felt her chin quiver as she took in a breath moving towards the back of the mausoleum. She didn't have the energy to stand anymore, so she slipped down the wall leaning on it heavily for support. Tessa hunched over not wanting to look up as she heard Alaric move closer. She just wanted to wrap herself in a ball and, die right here with him. He crouched down hovering over her, just waiting.

"Hey…" His soft voice drew her to look up at him. She watched pain flash over his features when he saw her watery eyes and red-tinged face. She sniffled trying to wipe away the tears that just kept coming. "You should walk Elena out, make-make sure that Klaus isn't still out there," Tessa muttered as she moved to stand up. Alaric seemed to understand that was Tessa's way of calming down, alone. He took her hand in his as he stood up to his full height now, he moved it up to his lips before turning away after Elena. Tessa was surprised to see him stop short at the entrance, so she came up behind him. She saw the whole group of people she'd met last night, even Tyler was there which took her by surprise. She could hear Alaric getting more and more choked up staring at the people he was choosing to leave behind. It was obvious he didn't want to, but he had already deemed it the safer decision. Tessa felt him walk by her and, back into the mausoleum. She turned and followed him in quickly, knowing this may be the only chance to be with him alone. She briefly heard the movement of people coming in closer to the concrete building, but then a voice halted them.

"Just wait, give them the time to say goodbye." She inwardly thanked Damon as her eyes filled again with tears as Alaric came into view. She took a steadying breath as her eyes moved over him. His dark jacket over a red button up. Tessa couldn't help but chuckle at how she could even look at him as attractive until the very end.

"What?" She heard him ask. She could hear that his breathing came in quicker.

"It's nothing. Just that," She trailed off moving in closer to him, "You're still everything I've always wanted." With that, she pushed herself into his arms and, kissed him. She could feel his arms immediately encircle her as he pulled her against his body. He leaned against the wall behind him for support, she could tell he was steadily growing weaker.

She sniffled as she pulled away looking up at him. Alaric moved a hand up to wipe a tear from her face. "I love you too," Tessa told him. "I-I never got to say it back."

"You didn't have to." He told her without missing a beat. "I know." He finished with a nod.

"I-I need to tell you something," She began after taking a breath and pulling back, only to have him yank her closer to his chest in protest.

"Please don't. Don't pull away. I need you right now." Tessa nodded as tears sprang up behind her eyes. She could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest. "What is it?" He asked her.

Tessa glanced up at him to see his blue eyes locked on her face. She gulped, "Alaric, I-I don't know how, but-." She cut herself off as her voice wavered. Alaric's hands slid on to her upper arms as he moved to hold her so he could look at her whole face.

"what-what's wrong?" He asked softly, his eyebrows turned down in confusion.

"I hate to tell you like this. I-I only just found out yesterday. I-I'm so sorry." She wasn't making sense to him, as he watched her break down in tears.

"What is it, Tessa?" His soft voice pressed on.

"I-I'm pregnant." She gasped out, before her the floodgate of tears tore open, and her breathing became uneven. Alaric stood before her with his face unreadable.

"I'm-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She said shaking her head. "I-I didn't want it to be like this-."

Alaric cut her off as his hand slid to the back of her head and he pressed his mouth to hers silencing her voice. Tessa stood shocked at first, but her hands quickly moved around his body as she pulled him closer to her. Her hands gripped the zipper teeth on his jacket while her other on slid up into his hair.

Tessa felt Alaric's free hand move to her lower back as he gripped her shirt tightly. She knew that standing was going to prove difficult for him in a bit, and pushed him to lean against the wall behind him, as she deepened the kiss. She pulled back to allow Alaric to suck in some much-needed air into his lungs.

"I-I can't turn. You know that I won't. It wouldn't just put you in danger now." He told her as his hand slid over her stomach. Tessa's eyes watered again as she nodded slowly.

"I-I know." She stuttered out.

"I love you so much." He told her as his arms pulled her against him again.

"I love you too." She cried back to him with a gasping breath.

"Listen to me, Tessa. You need to get out of Mystic Falls. That's what I want, please. Nothing good ever happens here, okay? I want you and the baby safe. Away from the danger." Tessa pulled away angrily.

"I-I can't even think of that-."

"You have to." Alaric cut her off as he moved unsteadily closer to Tessa as he grabbed her hands in his. "I love you, but you need to get out of town. Tonight."

"I can't-. I don't want to leave you." She told him softly her wide, and watery eyes meeting his determined ones.

"You have to." He told her seriously, "I'm already dead."

Tessa felt her heart constrict at his words, there was an ache in her chest already at the mere thought of him not being around anymore. Not seeing her through the pregnancy, not seeing the baby born, or growing up.

"I-I can't, Ric. I just can't." She said tearfully. "I love you." She told him. She could hear movement coming in towards the mausoleum door, and knew the time had come for other's to say their goodbyes. Tessa didn't want to leave him. She wanted to remain here until the end.

"You're not watching me die, Tessa." He told her as his hands held her arms. "I-I can't go out like that."

"I love you, Ric." She muttered quickly before pressing her mouth to his. Her hands held him tightly to her body as his arms moved around hers. She had to respect his decision, she didn't like it, it broke her heart, but she had to respect it.

It hurt her heart when Ric pulled away from her, he turned to see Damon standing by the door. "Sorry, buddy." He grimaced.

Tessa felt a wave of tears, but she pushed them down. She sniffed as she backed up from the man she'd wanted to start a life with, but he was ripped away from her right as it began. She moved over towards Damon, just before exiting he gripped her arm gently.

"Go pack your things. I know of a place outside of town. I want to help-."

"I don't need your help." Tessa cut him off angrily as she yanked her arm back. She was thinking about everyone she'd lost, her sister, her mother, her father, and soon Alaric. Almost every one of them was at the hands of a Mikaelson. She felt anger burning within her.

"Tessa." His voice quelled the burning pit within her as she turned to face him, "Please."

Pain tore at Tessa's heart as she watched Alaric slide down the wall to sit, tiredly. Tessa moved quickly as she walked purposefully towards him and moved to her knees beside him, her mouth pressed to his easily, as she committed every little detail to her memory. She didn't want to forget anything about him. Her hand slid over his hair, and down around the back of his neck to his shoulder. She pulled back slowly as his arms released her.

"Please. Go." Alaric said in a final tone. Tessa nodded as she moved away to her feet and walked off not wanting to look back at him. She ran into Meredith on the way out. Tessa was too emotionally drained to even be mad about it.

"Damon called me." Meredith explained, "I'm here to give him some sedatives. Make his passing a bit easier-."

"I don't care," Tessa told her. Her voice was broken, and she didn't want to think about Alaric passing on, peaceful or not. It hurt too much. Tessa watched as Elena-who stood by Stefan move in closer to her, the look concerned on her face told Tessa that Stefan had told her about the baby, and she just couldn't deal with it right now. Not tonight. Tessa used her vamp speed to race through the woods, and back to her house to pack things up. She groaned knowing some of her things was still in Alaric's loft.

After hours and, hours of packing up what she could into her car, she headed over to the loft and moved up the stairs slowly. She opened the door and, the familiar scent of him hit her. Nearly every corner of the loft held memories of them together, happy memories, memories that made her feel alive. She sighed entering it slowly, she wanted to just rip the band-aid off but would keep getting distracted when she came across the certain things that made her tear up all over again. She'd grabbed a couple of his shirts to take with her wherever she was going.

She's waited outside of her house for almost half the night. Tessa glanced around wondering just when Damon would show up, so she pulled her phone out, and called him.

She was surprised to hear who answered.

"Tessa?" Pain stabbed her in the heart at the sound of his voice. Tears stung her eyes as they watered

"Alaric? Are- Are you-?"

"An abomination? Yes."

Tessa stilled at his voice knowing something wasn't right. "You're not, Ric." She told him, gently.

"You don't get to call me that." He told her, his voice dark, and angry. "We're nothing to each other." He continued over the phone. "Especially not parents. How could two monsters ever raise anything good? You better hope I don't find you. I'll kill you without a second thought. You and whatever that thing is that's growing within you." It wasn't her Alaric she was speaking to. She realised, it was the darkness within him.

Tessa fought to control her emotions as pain lashed through her at his words. "Alaric, No."

"Yes." He seethed through the phone. "You shouldn't be on this earth, and neither should that beast. I was weak when we met. Still mourning my loss, and you took advantage."

Tessa returned to herself quickly, "Good luck in finding me." She replied to him, hanging up before moving to get in the car. She felt secure in knowing that Elijah was long gone from Mystic Falls, and with that in mind, she drove off, fearful of running into him. She knew she wouldn't have it in her to kill him even if it came down to a fight to the death between them. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she knew it had to be out of Mystic Falls.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	22. AN: Sequel Change?

**Alright, so I've had an idea thrown to me by a friend who has been helping with bouncing ideas off of while writing this story. I'll pitch it, and am hoping to get some feedback by those that have read the full story. She suggested that it would make sense to do and originals/Vampire Diaries cross over with Tessa in it. As in, Tessa gets called away to help Klaus out with a New Orleans problem, thus leading them to work together- after she's had her own child, obviously. Wouldn't want to make her seem like a terrible mother.**

 **Anyways, I would love some thoughts on it as a second installment or something to that effect. Given the way you all enjoy some good ol' Klaus/OC fic it could definitely turn into that given Alaric's death.**

 **Thanks all! Any feedback on it would be awesome.**

 **TigerXEyes**


	23. AN: Sequel is up

**Hey all!**

 **Just wanted to let everyone know the first chapter is up for The Dara Diaries: New Orleans. Sorry it's taken so long. It took forever to figure out when I was going to have the story start. There is a time jump and, it picks up beginning of season 2. This is my first crossover, so I'm not sure how or if that changes where the story is placed. I assumed i** **t shows up under both The Originals, and the Vampire Diaries**

 **Thanks everyone for your views, and reviews.**

 **TigerXEyes**


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